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shereadytoread's reviews
806 reviews
The Genius of Judy: How Judy Blume Rewrote Childhood for All of Us by Rachelle Bergstein
informative
inspiring
reflective
5.0
I really enjoyed this book and I think that it's important to understand what this book is, before deciding to read it. This book is not just a specific biography of Judy Blume. Of course, there is biographical information about Judy and her life because its necessary to understand. Instead it is about Judy's life with a focus on each of her books, their cultural impact and how they were connected to the past and today.
You don't need to have read Judy's books to enjoy this book. The book summarizes many of her novels and discusses why each novel's content was important or groundbreaking at the time. It connects the content of the books to both Judy's life and the general need in society that Judy felt she was filling with each book.
This book has a lot of information on the history of book banning and sex education within the United States, and how past political choices have landed us to the book banning movement of today. It discusses the feminism movements within the United States and how various rights gained by women throughout the 20th century contributed to the evolution of Judy's writing and general child and teen fiction and education.
I tandem read this book starting with print and switching over to audio. It's a great read and although I didn't read many of Judy Blume's books growing up, I found this book engaging and the content and context of her work to be very interesting.
Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher. I purchased the audiobook myself.
You don't need to have read Judy's books to enjoy this book. The book summarizes many of her novels and discusses why each novel's content was important or groundbreaking at the time. It connects the content of the books to both Judy's life and the general need in society that Judy felt she was filling with each book.
This book has a lot of information on the history of book banning and sex education within the United States, and how past political choices have landed us to the book banning movement of today. It discusses the feminism movements within the United States and how various rights gained by women throughout the 20th century contributed to the evolution of Judy's writing and general child and teen fiction and education.
I tandem read this book starting with print and switching over to audio. It's a great read and although I didn't read many of Judy Blume's books growing up, I found this book engaging and the content and context of her work to be very interesting.
Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher. I purchased the audiobook myself.
All the Blues in the Sky by Renée Watson
emotional
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this audiobook. This book had age appropriate dealings of grief that were written with a lot of depth and emotion. The narrator was great. You follow our main character through her grief journey and trying to find a new normal without her best friend. The family and supporting characters were great from adults who don't get it, family and friends who do, and those who try but miss the mark.
I would definitely recommend this one.
Disclosure: I received a gifted ALC from Libro.FM and the publisher.
I would definitely recommend this one.
Disclosure: I received a gifted ALC from Libro.FM and the publisher.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Nine Month Contract by Amy Daws
1.5
This book had a bit too much going on and I think in trying to really push the "comedy" of the romantic comedy became extremely cringey. First, allowing your newly 18 year old niece to be in charge of your surrogacy journey was just weird and keeping her POV especially after chapters that include sex scenes felt very odd. It just kept going from there.
I think this book has an odd relationship with surrogacy. Obviously the main character is wanting to be a surrogate and the MMC wants to be a dad but the book can't seem to decide if it's critical of the formal surrogacy industry or not. It also completely undermines what surrogacy is supposed to be even before the relationship is involved. The author has a forward about her own fertility journey and seems to use that to justify why she can flippantly write about surrogacy. This gave very much "buying a baby" and getting pregnant is a funny little task, and trying to use fluffy language around that because we all know the HEA is coming.
The second that the "surrogate" FMC arrives on the mountain, she is immediately acting basically like a live-in girlfriend. She even starts to randomly bring animals and new pets into this man's property and home. I think it's supposed to be a "quirk" and "look how much she loves animals" but a man that is letting her stay for free specifically tells her "don't bring ______" and she does. The MMC is ... not anywhere near an emotionally healthy person that should be becoming a single parent purposefully. Tons of weird family issues that they try to show as "personal development", some weird slut-shamey stuff on a past love interest with no blame for the MMC of course, and in general he's just ... not great?
This is a book of moral and ethical ickiness that is packaged as a cute love story.
Disclosure: I received a free eARC from the publisher.
I think this book has an odd relationship with surrogacy. Obviously the main character is wanting to be a surrogate and the MMC wants to be a dad but the book can't seem to decide if it's critical of the formal surrogacy industry or not. It also completely undermines what surrogacy is supposed to be even before the relationship is involved. The author has a forward about her own fertility journey and seems to use that to justify why she can flippantly write about surrogacy. This gave very much "buying a baby" and getting pregnant is a funny little task, and trying to use fluffy language around that because we all know the HEA is coming.
The second that the "surrogate" FMC arrives on the mountain, she is immediately acting basically like a live-in girlfriend. She even starts to randomly bring animals and new pets into this man's property and home. I think it's supposed to be a "quirk" and "look how much she loves animals" but a man that is letting her stay for free specifically tells her "don't bring ______" and she does. The MMC is ... not anywhere near an emotionally healthy person that should be becoming a single parent purposefully. Tons of weird family issues that they try to show as "personal development", some weird slut-shamey stuff on a past love interest with no blame for the MMC of course, and in general he's just ... not great?
This is a book of moral and ethical ickiness that is packaged as a cute love story.
Disclosure: I received a free eARC from the publisher.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy
You Got Anything Stronger?: Stories by Gabrielle Union
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
5.0
This was an excellent follow up to her first memoir. I absolutely loved this book and found it to be incredibly relatable, inspiring and funny. This one felt more open and vulnerable than the first. She delves into her infertility issues, realizations of mistakes she made in trying to offer good representation as a mother and an actress, and different pitfalls and funny stories. I think audio is the best way to read this book, but each story has a message that is relatable (even if it’s an uncomfortable relation).
I am so glad that she wrote this follow up!
I am so glad that she wrote this follow up!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Racism
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism
The Devourer by Alison Ames
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This horror fantasy was an interesting adventure. The main character is hell-bent on revenge and has to deal with the consequences of her obsession. I thought the romance aspect would play a larger role, but it's more a throwaway than anything. I enjoyed the complexity of the characters and thought that the creature design was incredibly unique. I am not a pirate book girl but I really enjoyed this one.
Disclosure: I received a gifted ARC and eARC from the publisher.
Disclosure: I received a gifted ARC and eARC from the publisher.
Knot So Lucky by Trilina Pucci
2.75
This is a high spice, low plot MMMF book. If that's what you're looking for, it'll probably be 5 stars for you. There is tons of dirty talk and lots of situations that don't make sense. My biggest issue was the MMC is constantly pretty rude to the FMC. I think it's supposed to read as flirting but it just seems rough. I disliked the MMC for most of the book, which really stopped me from enjoying it much. I had plan to read all three books in this series but I don't know I would keep going.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Vomit
Losing Sight by Tati Richardson
emotional
funny
medium-paced
4.5
I adored this romance! It's a romcom about accepting changes in your life, letting go of grief and making space for new possibilities (with magic realism). It follows a recently pushed aside sports reporter who is struggling to see, forced to visit a (hot) optometrist. It gave some beautiful nods to ancestor traditions and supportive friendships, in addition to the main romance. The couple's banter was cute and humorous, but the emotional depth was heartwarming. I thought the two narrators were great (audio). The dual POVs were equally fleshed out characters.
The only thing that stopped this from being a 5 star read was that during the "difficulties" of the relationship, I think the MMC came off as a bit impulsive and hurtful, which wasn't addressed as well as I would
Disclosure: I received an ALC of this book from spotify.
The only thing that stopped this from being a 5 star read was that during the "difficulties" of the relationship, I think the MMC came off as a bit impulsive and hurtful, which wasn't addressed as well as I would
Disclosure: I received an ALC of this book from spotify.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Madam President by Desiree Francies
emotional
reflective
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed this book. Heh maybe there's some catharsis about a group of black women plotting to steal the election? Some of the "history" speeches got a bit repetitive and I think overstated the paradox of black identity and "patriotism" in America. Sometimes I need an author to trust the reader enough to not have to fully repeat something as much. This is classified as a romance but the romance itself didn't feel vital to the plot. It felt more along the lines of romantic suspense or women's fiction. However, I am excited to check out the second book!
Why on Earth: An Alien Invasion Anthology by Vania Stoyanova, Rosiee Thor
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
This was such a unique take on the alien invasion story. This diverse anthology splits a single accidental alien invasion into one flowing plot with each individual story written by a different author. The stories lean toward romance and coming of age stories. It explores a variety of identities and even different locations around the country.
The collection is a mix of heartwarming and humorous. The characters find themselves in odd situations with a lot of fish out of water humor. In some stories the aliens are the focus, some the humans experiencing the alien invasion are the focus, and some are a mix of the two. While the stories were all different and written by different authors, I think they were able to align their writing styles in a way that flowed really well. I have read some of the authors before and some I have not, but everything matched up really well.
Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher. I also pre-ordered my own copy (support indie bookstores!).
The collection is a mix of heartwarming and humorous. The characters find themselves in odd situations with a lot of fish out of water humor. In some stories the aliens are the focus, some the humans experiencing the alien invasion are the focus, and some are a mix of the two. While the stories were all different and written by different authors, I think they were able to align their writing styles in a way that flowed really well. I have read some of the authors before and some I have not, but everything matched up really well.
Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher. I also pre-ordered my own copy (support indie bookstores!).
River Woman, River Demon by Jennifer Givhan
emotional
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This book was an interesting bend on the mystery thriller. It includes a lot of cultural and supernatural elements. The book plays into the trope of an unreliable narrator, but it is mostly in the way of her discovering events from the past (prior to the events of the book) that she doesn't remember, and not really whether her perception is true of what is happening now. The author's attempt to humanize mental illness and choices that the reader may not agree with, lands in some ways but in other ways does not (for me).
I thought the mystery portion was pretty interesting a couple of the twists were predictable but I still enjoyed following the story. This was a book with a good variety of female characters that made both positive and negative impacts/choices. Some of the supernatural elements felt a bit forced.
I thought the mystery portion was pretty interesting a couple of the twists were predictable but I still enjoyed following the story. This was a book with a good variety of female characters that made both positive and negative impacts/choices. Some of the supernatural elements felt a bit forced.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Death of parent