How I adored this book! I am not the intended audience for Aiden Thomas’s book but still found myself being swept up in his tale of young people searching for the place they belong and fighting for the respect they deserve. This book has a bit of everything: family, friendship, humor, and romance and I think anyone who reads this would like it. This book is especially important for young trans people who may be struggling to find acceptance among their family and friends. I highly recommend this book.
Continue reading “Cemetery Boys”Leave the World Behind
While reading this book, I kept thinking, “did Rumaan Alam think his book would be so timely when he was writing it?” The topics of race, class, and family would have been enough to make this a very 2020 book but how could anyone have known that a book that discussed those topics AND a global catastrophe would be written pre-2020, only to be released at the end of what feels like the longest year ever? As much as I loved this book, I would hesitate to recommend it right now, solely based on the content, knowing that some people might not want to read about the beginning of the end of the world while we are still dealing with a pandemic. However, if you feel like you can handle this topic right now, this book is one that you will be hearing about a lot over the next few months (Netflix bought the rights before the book was even released and Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington are already set to star in the adaptation,) and I really enjoyed this one, as much as you can enjoy a sad, semi-apocalyptic book.
Continue reading “Leave the World Behind”Kiss Number 8
Wow. This story was not NOT what I expected from the description of this book or the cutesy cover (although the cover is what drew me to this book in the first place). This book tackles some tough topics with humor and realism that made this book a win for me.
Continue reading “Kiss Number 8”I Wish You All the Best
While I am not this book’s intended audience, if you identify as queer or as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community I could see this book being an essential read. At times heartbreaking but still hopeful, this is a must read.
Continue reading “I Wish You All the Best”The Wangs vs. the World
I clearly missed something with this book because I found nothing funny about this “hilarious” and “outrageously funny” novel. In fact, if I didn’t have to read this for a book club I was hosting, I would have stopped at around 15%. But I soldiered on. And in the end, while I didn’t hate this book as much as I thought I would, I didn’t particularly like it and found myself confused by all the great ratings.
Continue reading “The Wangs vs. the World”With the Fire on High
If you’re looking for a feel good story with very little drama and a heroine you root for, “With the Fire on High” is the book for you. I read this for a book club I’m in and was happy to find that most people loved this book as much as I did. Elizabeth Acevdeo is an amazing author and I want to read everything she has done. While this book is marketed as a young adult title, I would recommend this to any adult.
Continue reading “With the Fire on High”The Lager Queen of Minnesota
This was a book club pick and read like one. Some interesting characters and situations that led to a fairly good discussion about our thoughts. I liked the overall story and the writing and would recommend this book to someone looking for a light, family drama.
Gender Queer
As a librarian and avid reader, I hear the phrase “this is an important book” a lot. And while it’s true that there are many “important” books out there, sometimes these books are tough to read. Whether it’s the subject matter or the length or the writing style, “important” books sometimes sit on my shelf, unread. Gender Queer is an “important” book that is smart and accessible and a title that I would recommend to everyone, regardless of how they identify.
The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise
Oh my heart. I was gifted this book at my book club Christmas party, knowing nothing about it, I hadn’t even heard of it. The friend who gifted it said I would love it…and she was 100% right. Not only did I adore it, I am now encouraging everyone I know to read it. I highly recommend this book.
The Nest
When “The Nest” was released in 2016, I remember it being on every “must read” or “best of” list I saw. It seemed to be the hottest book that year and it immediately went on my list of to be read. And that’s where it stayed….until I needed a book about a family for one of my reading challenges. I am so glad I finally read this book because it was like nothing I expected it to be and I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would.