Great debut novel about a Black choreographer navigating race and art. I appreciated and felt moved by how Lauren Morrow wrote about our protagonist LGreat debut novel about a Black choreographer navigating race and art. I appreciated and felt moved by how Lauren Morrow wrote about our protagonist Layla’s journey with her racial identity. Little Movements asks intriguing questions about creativity among artists of color (in the book’s case Black artists specifically) and whether this art can ever truly be “not about race” in a white supremacist society. The author’s deep understanding of dance came through too; the scenes related to dance felt authentic and digestible. Morrow’s prose as a whole felt compelling and smart, but without being pretentious or hard-to-grasp.
I do tire of the mediocre white romantic partner trope, though I felt that Morrow handled Layla’s evolution in that relationship well. Layla’s growth as a whole was wonderful to read. Looking forward to witnessing more of Morrow’s work!...more
A poignant coming-of-age story about an Afro-Latina woman trying to make it in New York City. I thought Natalie Guerrero did an excellent job3.5 stars
A poignant coming-of-age story about an Afro-Latina woman trying to make it in New York City. I thought Natalie Guerrero did an excellent job of portraying the racism, sexism, and classism faced by our protagonist Xiomara as she tries to pursue her career as an actress. At the same time, Guerrero doesn’t just make this book about the oppression Xiomara faces – she’s gritty, determined, and messy yet relatable. I appreciated the plotline about Xiomara’s problematic white friend Cassie, Xiomara’s arc of coming into herself more, and the overall shape of her relationship with Santi.
I went back and forth between rounding up to four and rounding down to three because there were some elements of this book that didn’t land quite effectively for me. At times the writing felt awkward or not that mature; for example even though I vibed with Xiomara’s romance with Santi for what it represented, a lot of their scenes together, especially toward the middle and end, came across as forced. I also feel like this novel could have done without the plot of Xiomara’s sister who passed away. Still, politically and personally I resonate with what this book put down, so I’m rounding up to four stars....more
One of the elements I most loved about this book was its takedown of the wedding industrial complex. Celia Laskey includes so much sharp, ric3.5 stars
One of the elements I most loved about this book was its takedown of the wedding industrial complex. Celia Laskey includes so much sharp, rich, and funny sentiments about how we’re taught to value getting married and throwing weddings, despite both practices’ patriarchal origins. Great writing too about the intersections of weddings and capitalism and how weddings help some folks make a profit.
I also liked the messages about how we’re taught to prioritize romance over our friendships. Through our protagonist’s complex friendship with her best friend Ellie, Laskey also highlights the painful emotions that can accompany when one of our close friends changes or is different than us in fundamental ways. There’s an interesting growth arc between these two friends that I think may speak to folks who’ve had challenging friendships in their lives.
One reason I give this book a slightly lower rating is because I found the writing a bit off-putting at times. There were moments where I felt Laskey was going straight out satire, and then there were other moments where I sensed she was aiming for something more subtle and sinister. The prose didn’t always work for me, like in the flashbacks to the earlier parts of Robin and Ellie’s friendship – I wanted to believe the emotions though the writing didn’t fully convince me.
That said, Robin also grew as a character and I was impressed by how Laskey implemented her own growth in self-awareness about some of her personal and relational patterns. Thus, I’d still recommend this book to those who find themselves interested in the synopsis. I always appreciate a critique of amatonormativity and the wedding industrial complex!...more
Really appreciated this memoir for its portrayal of a difficult mother daughter dynamic and how it shaped Arundhati Roy. Roy’s writing is honest and eReally appreciated this memoir for its portrayal of a difficult mother daughter dynamic and how it shaped Arundhati Roy. Roy’s writing is honest and emotional and highlights how our caregivers can both egregiously hurt and belittle us, while also influencing us in ways that are profound and poignant. The main reason I give this book three stars instead of a higher rating is that I felt that Roy’s writing could at times ramble and feel meandering/unfocused, though of course I respect her writing and grieving process (as well as her political views which seem to align with mine). On the fence about whether I should read her other books though I imagine this work may resonate with fans of her novels....more
Interesting book about fetal personhood and its connections not only to anti-abortion movements, though also intersections with race, class, 3.5 stars
Interesting book about fetal personhood and its connections not only to anti-abortion movements, though also intersections with race, class, and other social identities. Well-written and astute, and I appreciated how Mary Ziegler highlights that the Dobbs ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade is (unfortunately) not the end of the fetal personhood movement. Giving it a slightly lower star rating because it does read as very academic – at times like a listing of historical events – and I wonder how accessible the writing style is to general audiences....more
Moving, raw book about the author’s experience of sexual abuse at the hands of her stepfather. Appreciated her boldness in sharing how the ab3.5 stars
Moving, raw book about the author’s experience of sexual abuse at the hands of her stepfather. Appreciated her boldness in sharing how the abuse has affected her as well as her critical reflections both on media portrayals of abuse and how the legal system handles these cases. I found the book stylistically a bit weaker on the writing side (e.g., can come across as removed, a little disorganized/unfocused), though of course sensitive to the different ways people process and articulate trauma. FYI, the descriptions of sexual abuse are very explicit so readers may want to take that into account before starting this one....more
Short stories can be a drag to read though the ones in this collection were entertaining. Props to Elaine Hsieh Chou for crafting short stories with eShort stories can be a drag to read though the ones in this collection were entertaining. Props to Elaine Hsieh Chou for crafting short stories with engaging scenes and dynamic premises. The topics are timely and thorny such as body image for Asian girls living in different countries, sex work in Asia, and internalized racism in dating and relationships. Chou is a clever writer and she approaches these topics in nuanced ways, while at the same time conveying the seriousness of these issues and imparting important social messages.
My main constructive critique of this collection is that at times I felt like these stories were more about conveying societal messages than developing three-dimensional characters. The stories didn’t feel overly didactic, though I still felt that many of the characters could have been written with more emotional depth. That said, while I was going to give this collection a 3.5-star rating, the novella at the end “Casualties of Art” flipped it to a four-star rating – this story truly felt like Chou’s debut novel Disorientation except from an Asian American man’s perspective. The story contains biting themes related to misandry and the intersection of race and self-worth. I was hooked on the plot and I’m glad Chou gave us a happy (though realistically bittersweet) ending. Overall, Chou is a writer to watch and I’m looking forward to whatever she publishes next....more
Moving novel about a group of young, predominantly Black teenager mothers living in the small town of Padua Beach, Florida. I will say that for the 25Moving novel about a group of young, predominantly Black teenager mothers living in the small town of Padua Beach, Florida. I will say that for the 250 pages or so of this book I felt a bit bored by Mottley’s prose. I knew from the start the story was important but the pieces didn’t all come together for me until the last 150 pages or so, which really blew me away.
I loved the theme of female friendship and empowerment in The Girls Who Grew Big. Mottley does an excellent job of portraying the complexity of friendship; you don’t just spend time with these people, you actually have to treat them well, and even then there are relational complexities to unpack. It was heartwarming to read how the girls supported one another when so many people, ranging from their parents to male partners, let them down.
I also appreciated how each of the characters developed throughout the course of the novel. For example, Mottley did a great job of making Adela so annoying, though also tenderly highlighting her honest and messy path in growing as a person. Adela, Simone, and Emory all had distinct voices and by the end of the book I felt attached to all three of them and was wishing them the best. Overall, a character-driven novel that subtly tackles the stereotypes and prejudices thrown at teen mothers. I think Mottley is still honing her craft as a writer though in the last 150 pages or so there were some passages that blew me away....more
I found the first half of this book a bit slow, though I’m rounding up to four stars because the second half had me speedily flipping the pages. For sI found the first half of this book a bit slow, though I’m rounding up to four stars because the second half had me speedily flipping the pages. For some reason I expected this to be more of a literary fiction read about class, however, it was more of a feminist thriller. I liked how Elyse Friedman subverted the sexist trope of the “gold-digger” and highlighted how men with money get away with a lot of wrongdoing. Even though I don’t think this novel was the most complex or nuanced, I’m also giving it four stars because I genuinely did not see the major plot twist coming – props to Friedman for surprising me and I’m sure many others. If you’re into thrillers, twisted family dynamics, and smart commentaries on gender, you may want to give this one a try....more
Deeply appreciated this book about adoption and how it often disenfranchises birth mothers. Gretchen Sisson does an excellent job of highligh4.5 stars
Deeply appreciated this book about adoption and how it often disenfranchises birth mothers. Gretchen Sisson does an excellent job of highlighting birth mothers’ painful, negative emotions about relinquishing their children, and she writes clearly and intelligently about the sociopolitical factors that contribute to adoption (e.g., financial disparities between birth mothers and adoptive parents, the conservative and religious forces promoting a private solution to a public problem, etc.) What I loved most about this book was the in-depth stories directly told by birth mothers themselves. So often these people’s perspectives are silenced or erased and it was powerful to read about their traumas, resilience, and insights related to relinquishing their children.
As Sisson names toward the end of this book, reading this may stir up negative feelings (e.g., defensiveness) from people who have positive feelings about adoption. I hope that readers who feel this way can honor both their potentially positive experiences with the lived realities and difficulties of the birth mothers who courageously shared their stories in Relinquished....more
Powerful book about women’s experiences of virtual violence and harassment. I appreciated one of Alia Dastagir’s main themes of how virtual violence aPowerful book about women’s experiences of virtual violence and harassment. I appreciated one of Alia Dastagir’s main themes of how virtual violence against women needs to be taken seriously and isn’t just a matter of “ignore it” or “don’t pay attention to it.” She makes a point to name intersectionality especially in regard to race and Black women’s experiences of virtual harassment. The book contained intriguing and nuanced sections about the benefits and drawbacks of counterspeak (i.e., publicly responding to and rebutting your abuser’s online hate) as well as how women can also mistreat and harm other women online.
There were times where the writing felt a bit dry or formulaic in like a, here’s a phenomenon, now I’ll describe some Psychology research to unpack the effects of such phenomenon, rinse and repeat. That said, this book covers an obviously important and all-too-pertinent topic in today’s digital age....more
Overall I really enjoyed this book. As a Vietnamese American who was raised near a Korean church community in northern Virginia, I also grew 4.5 stars
Overall I really enjoyed this book. As a Vietnamese American who was raised near a Korean church community in northern Virginia, I also grew up with and still listen to a lot of K-Pop. I thought Giaae Kwon did a nice job of writing with nuance about several K-Pop related topics including body image, misogyny, and mental health. I appreciated how she showed her adoration and respect for the genre while still applying a critical lens in her analysis.
I think where this memoir shined the most was when Kwon wrote about her personal life. For example, I was moved by her vulnerability when she wrote about dropping out of school twice and lying about it. I also resonated with her when she wrote about being almost 40 and not feeling like she had her life all figured out, especially in regard to society’s traditional benchmarks of success (e.g., career, amatonormative romantic partner, etc.) In reading Kwon’s self-reflection, it felt clear to me that this is someone who’s worked on herself and has gained self-awareness and self-insight through healing from her pain.
I did perceive at times that some of the connections Kwon made between her own life and K-Pop were a bit tenuous; it seemed that she was trying to stick to the structure of writing about K-Pop even when it didn’t always fit. But, I can see why she did that given the packaging of this book. In sum, an enjoyable book. Even though the analysis may not blow you away if you’re at all deep in the K-Pop discourse like myself, you may still find comfort in Kwon’s writing and honesty....more
Solid to-the-point overview of abortion two years since the fall of Roe V. Wade. As she’s done in her previous books, Jessica Valenti does a great jobSolid to-the-point overview of abortion two years since the fall of Roe V. Wade. As she’s done in her previous books, Jessica Valenti does a great job of dispelling common conservative, anti-choice talking points about abortion. She highlights how abortion bans harm and exert control over women and all people who give birth, as well as how conservative media/lawmakers/etc. have been trying to change up their language to get around how abortion restrictions really are. She acknowledges intersectionality and references real women’s stories to back up her points.
I don’t think this book will contain too much new information for those who already educate themselves on abortion issues. However, it’s a nice refresher and communicates the urgency of fighting for abortion well....more
One of the most enjoyable books I’ve read in a while! I took great pleasure in reading this memoir about a woman satisfying herself during he4.5 stars
One of the most enjoyable books I’ve read in a while! I took great pleasure in reading this memoir about a woman satisfying herself during her trip in Paris. Glynnis MacNicol writes with precision and feeling about being a childfree, non-married single woman in her mid-40’s defying society’s expectations that all women’s lives and stories end with marriage and/or kids. As someone who’s more femme and childfree by choice and romantically single, I found myself nodding along and sighing in “yes, she gets it” throughout this memoir. I loved her writing about her friendships, her considerations of her finances, and her decision to chart her own course.
I believe this book is also relevant given Vice President JD Vance’s comments about romantically single, childfree women being “childless cat ladies” and his statements that parents should get more votes than nonparents. I turn 30 in two months and definitely feel the amatonormative and heteronormative pressure to get married and have kids. MacNicol’s memoir in which she literally centers her pursuit of pleasure defies patriarchal notions that women’s purpose is solely to serve or care for other people. She’s also generally self-aware about her privilege and positionality. Sure, there were a few passages that could have been more concise or removed and an instance of an interaction with a younger woman that could have been probed more thoroughly, but, as a whole I found her writing mindful and astute.
I’m not a travel memoir fan but liked this book nonetheless for its thesis on pursuing pleasure and defying society’s expectations. I may be interested in reading a memoir every decade by MacNicol as I also enjoyed her memoir No One Tells You This which I read back in 2018....more
I overall enjoyed this graphic memoir a lot. Really appreciated Siobhan Gallagher’s honesty about her issues with self-esteem, body image, self-harm, I overall enjoyed this graphic memoir a lot. Really appreciated Siobhan Gallagher’s honesty about her issues with self-esteem, body image, self-harm, and more throughout her life. Her drawings were engaging and aesthetically appealing to the eye so I didn’t feel like I was “working” to get through Full of Myself. Though the contents were sometimes sad, her colorful illustrations and sense of humor were refreshing and real. Loved her analysis of the media and her candor about the many instances she faced of men objectifying her in gross and sexist ways.
I liked Gallagher’s veracity about the messiness of her life through many stages and that she also wrote about her healing process. Several of her steps toward healing resonated with my experience of recovering from disordered eating, like reading and deeply internalizing feminist writing about body image (thank you Appetites by Caronline Knapp!!), engaging in intuitive and mindful eating, and doing exercise that feels pleasurable and isn’t focused on weight loss (I haven’t weighed myself in years). I understand there are limitations to Gallagher’s narrative given her many privileges as a white, mid-sized, college-educated, cisgender woman, though I felt that she acknowledged these constraints and wrote from her a heartfelt place within them....more
Overall enjoyed this essay collection and thought Morgan Parker did a nice job of intertwining the personal with the sociopolitical. Topics r3.5 stars
Overall enjoyed this essay collection and thought Morgan Parker did a nice job of intertwining the personal with the sociopolitical. Topics range from Black representation in media to romantic loneliness as a Black woman in her 30s to people who defend Bill Cosby. I found Parker’s writing astute and perceptive and I appreciated the honest, non-cliched way she emphasized therapy and mental health in this collection. There were times where I wished she went a bit deeper or got more specific, like when she referenced her “uncomfortably abundant number of white friends” or when she wrote about romantic loneliness without interrogating amatonormativity or romantic monogamy culture in general. Still, a thoughtful essay collection from a writer confronting misogynoir and imagining a more just world than the one we live in now....more
I really liked this book and so appreciate Lyz Lenz for writing honestly about her divorce and not putting up with men’s bs! I thought she did an overI really liked this book and so appreciate Lyz Lenz for writing honestly about her divorce and not putting up with men’s bs! I thought she did an overall effective job of integrating memoir (e.g., story of her own marriage and divorce) with social commentary and reporting related to heterosexual marriage and divorce more broadly. At the age of 29 I’m getting so inundated with social media posts about weddings, which I don’t care too much about because I don’t want to get married/disavow the whole wedding industrial complex, though it does strike me as ironic/problematic that people don’t nearly talk as often about divorces as much as weddings. Lenz blazes through any divorce stigma in this book and writes with candor about divorce’s benefits, despite the annoying parts of the divorce process, especially for women who aren’t getting what they want/need from marriage.
A few things that stood out to me in a positive way when I read this book: loved how Lenz takes a firm stand on the patriarchal nature of women taking men’s last names in marriage. So important to critique choice feminism. This section of the book reminded me of one of my favorite academic mentors and how her children (or at least one of them) took her last name instead of her husband’s last name. Iconic! I also liked how Lenz wrote about how men who identify as “liberal” or as “feminists” can still treat women horribly; I’ve noticed this within the gay male community too about men who identify with social justice causes yet are racist or femmephobic or perpetuate other forms of oppression. It’s easy to self-identify as someone who is in favor of equity or social progress, though you have to actually look at someone’s behavior, not just what they say. Finally, I’m glad she ended the book on the note of chosen community and prioritizing friendships and relationships outside of the heteronormative nuclear mold.
Reading this book was interesting because it paired kinda nicely with Splinters by Leslie Jamison which I read earlier this year, though the books are very different. I felt Jamison’s book emphasized the emotional grooves of her divorce but lacked more direct and necessary political commentary, whereas Lenz’s book does a way better job of discussing the sociopolitical underpinnings of marriage and divorce. I don’t think this book is perfect – some of its organization and structure felt a bit choppy and the writing didn’t always wow me. However, I definitely enjoyed it enough to give it four stars and hope it helps continue the conversation about finding happiness outside of romantic relationships with men....more
I ended up loving this book! The novel follows Selasi and Akorfa, two best friends growing up in the same Ghanian town. Even though their fam4.5 stars
I ended up loving this book! The novel follows Selasi and Akorfa, two best friends growing up in the same Ghanian town. Even though their families come from different class backgrounds, the two are inseparable, confiding in one another about everything and spending all their free time together. But as they enter their teen years, Selasi starts to change, and soon the girls’ friendship drifts further rand further from what it used to be. It isn’t until many years later that a tragedy brings Akorfa and Selasi back into each other’s lives.
Though the prose in Nightbloom took me a little time to get into, by about 40% in I was hooked. I really liked how Peace Adzo Medie wrote each of these characters’ coming-of-age stories, centering their unique voices and desires while showing the contextual influence of gender, race, and class. One of the things I found most remarkable about this book was how Medie told the same story twice, through the perspective of Akorfa and then Selasi. This narrative choice felt unique and risky yet worked super well, highlighting how two people can perceive the same events so differently based on familial influence and varying levels of privilege.
By the end of the book I was cheering for both Selasi and Akorfa; I felt genuinely moved by the last few chapters. Medie does an excellent job of highlighting how patriarchy, classism, and racism affect her characters’ lives, while still centering her characters’ journeys and not distracting readers with too-obvious messages about society. I loved the complexity in which Medie wrote about both Ghana and female friendship – the novel felt sufficiently nuanced and the ending, while hopeful, wasn’t unrealistically cheerful.
A bit torn on how to round but deciding to round up because even though the prose took me a little time to adjust to, this book has so many wonderful strengths. I’d recommend it to those interested in novels about female friendship and how social structures affect our day-to-day lives!...more
I liked and agreed with a lot of the feminist messages in this book: that male serial killers are often glorified and glamorized with little attentionI liked and agreed with a lot of the feminist messages in this book: that male serial killers are often glorified and glamorized with little attention paid toward female victims and survivors, that women are labeled as hysterical and overdramatic for their emotions, and that many men are complicit in rape culture even if they have not perpetrated a rape themselves. On a thematic level, I thus appreciated Bright Young Women for putting the women in these scenarios in the center of attention.
That said I found the writing on the sentence level quite monotonous and predictable, even though the topic itself is important. The book was thus a bit of a drag for me to get through. At the same time, I totally recognize and agree with what Jessica Knoll was trying to accomplish message-wise here....more
A novel that takes place in 1950s Bombay about twin sisters Jaya and Kamlesh, this book explores intriguing themes related to gendered oppression, BriA novel that takes place in 1950s Bombay about twin sisters Jaya and Kamlesh, this book explores intriguing themes related to gendered oppression, British colonialism, and pursuing art as a career and lifestyle. Those who enjoys stories about sisters coming of age may especially like Inside the Mirror. I found the writing style a bit dry and the tone one-note which made it hard for me to feel invested in the story, though I can see why others appreciate this book....more
