Three May YAs

Finished these in May, but have been ill and haven't had a chance to update the blog... or read anything so far in June. But here are some brief reviews of these:

We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This (by Rachel Lynn Solomon) 

Goodreads readers are very upset at the portrayal of a secular Muslim character in this novel. I have met secular Muslims (my college roommate, among others) and so it rang true to me, but I am not Muslim so I'm probably not the one to say if this is okay.  However, I will say The Love Match does an amazing job of representing a range of Muslim characters authentically and if this is a consideration for you, I recommend that one. As for this one, I enjoyed the main character and her journey of self-exploration and her struggles with OCD. 

Something Like Possible (by Miel Moreland) 

Overall a good read, but the romance was a little odd / felt somewhat arbitrary at the beginning. She kind of randomly picks out one of two queer girls with no indication that she is attracted to the love interest over the other girl, kind of bizarre. Ultimately I was glad my squicky feelings at the beginning about one particular character were validated by the end and I thought the wrapup was satisfying and good. 

Always the Almost (by Edward Underhill)

I thought this was going to be way too simple but really liked the complications of Miles’s feelings about his ex, Shane, and the story of his piano playing as he prepares for a big competition alongside the romance plot. Also I enjoyed the unique perspective of someone who is very newly out as trans and how that impacts him. I did think the love interest was a little too good to be true but who doesn't need some trans joy these days?  Enjoyed.

 

Big Swiss (by Jen Beagin)

This year's Camp ToB booklist came out and I immediately knew I wanted to read this one. It's pretty indescribable, unpredictable, compelling and very strange. I loved every page of this! It constantly swerves away from where you think it's going; Jen Beagin is fearless.  It does have that "MFA" quality to it that I can't quite explain. Is it showiness? Quirk? Confidence? But regardless, I tend to like the MFA quality in novels, and I liked it here. Weird as hell. Check it out.

The Anthropocene Reviewed (by John Green)

One of those books I've checked out many times but never managed to read until the moment was right, which apparently was now. This is a series of essays (actually, reviews that give each item a score out of 5 stars) about various things that humanity experiences, from the world's largest ball of paint to man's capacity for wonder.  It's an eclectic and personal collection with so many highlightable moments.  Highly recommend this one.

If I See You Again Tomorrow (by Robbie Couch)

I wasn't a huge fan of Robbie Couch's last book I tried Blaine for the Win, which was about high school football. I also skim-read I Like Me Better over the weekend, which was also about sports, and it made me realize I have zero interest in reading about sports, at least white high school gay boys who do sports and have sports drama. 

But still, this one isn't about sports so I thought I'd move on and try this one! In fact it's about a kid stuck in a time loop, which is such a fun premise and I loved almost everything about it. I loved Clark's whole journey (even though at one point he was frustratingly slow on the uptake) and his relationships with all the side characters and his family. 

The huge thing that was lacking was the love story, which makes the ending completely unearned and out of nowhere.  Like, how about having them... interact? How about that? Anyway, other than that glaring issue, it was a good read!

& This Is How to Stay Alive (by Shingai Njeri Kagunda)

This won Best Novella in 2022 in the Ignyte awards, and thus qualifies for the category "read any book from the Ignyte awards shortlist/longlist/winner list."

It is a novella about a woman in Nairobi whose brother dies by suicide, and her efforts to travel back in time and save him. I think I made a mistake in not reading this all in one shot, since I didn't appreciate it nearly as much as others did. I was left feeling confused and wishing for more. Part of it may have been the novella format but most of it I think it was me failing as a reader. 

If I get a chance before the end of the year, I may try and read it again.

Fun Weekend Reads

Because I'm too lazy to make two whole posts.

Very Sincerely Yours (by Kerry Winfrey) 

An extremely charming romcom recommended by a colleague at work. Our main character, Teddy, breaks up with a truly horrible guy (masterclass in setting him up as a villain from page one) and begins writing letters to a local TV Mr. Rogers-style puppeteer.  Hijinks ensue.  I loved Teddy and Everett and all the side characters, and the novel is really funny, with plot developments that are not overly contrived.  Just really works.  

Imogen, Obviously (by Becky Albertalli) 

Becky Albertalli has been criticized for writing queer novels as a cishet person, and clearly grappled with that criticism while at the same time coming to realize she's queer (she identifies as bisexual). This is relevant because she basically fictionalized and young adulted her journey and turned it into Imogen, Obviously.  There are definitely places where it moves too far into autobiography (the pop culture references are almost all from Gen X, for example) but Imogen is very loveable and her journey is relatable.  Overall, enjoyed it.

Bad Fat Black Girl: Notes from a Trap Feminist (by Sesali Bowen)

I had to commute into the office last week for the first time in years, which made it a great opportunity to finally check out "an audiobook performed by a person of color of a book written by an author of color." This is read by the author, Sesali Bowen.  

Short review: this is great. I learned a lot about trap music and culture, and Bowen's perspective on feminism gave me a lot to think about and unpack.  I tagged this as memoir since she uses her own experiences to guide the reader through her ideas.

This quote from Goodreads captures it well: "If you want to challenge your ideas of what it means to be a feminist, particularly if you are steeped in white feminism that lacks intersectionality, I would recommend reading Bad Fat Black Girl." Same here. It's entertaining, erudite, queer, challenging, enlightening.  

No Boy Summer (by Amy Spalding)

I was so into this at first - a smart, confident plus-size heroine in a sapphic romance, sounds perfect - but was a bit less enamored by the end. (There is a lot of laughing. The characters laugh on every page. I got a little tired of the laughing.)

The exploration of friendship and sisterhood (and not just romantic love) really worked for me, although the sisters' conflict seemed a bit manufactured. But the love for Los Angeles was a bonus too, since that's where I'm from! The details of the coffee shop job and loving the Dodgers and the long drive to the beach gave me major nostalgia.

Hmm maybe I liked it more than I thought.