Leslie F*cking Jones (by Leslie Jones)

Okay, this is a book that is wildly different in audio vs. print. It's a short book that turns into a 19-hour audiobook because Leslie Jones riffs, expands on her stories, curses a lot, ad libs, and improvs her way through it. She laughs her ass off and also cries when recounting difficult moments of her life. It's completely authentic - she tells stories that include her stealing stuff during the L.A. riots, dealing with debilitating hemorrhoids, and regularly getting high with Kenan Thompson, among other things.

You have to be a fan of Leslie Jones and her style of comedy, but if you are, you can trust and believe (a Leslie-ism you will hear a lot) that this audiobook is an experience. (Also there are multiple shoutouts to John Ritter's comedy skills and so of course I love her even more.)

The Worst Perfect Moment (by Shivaun Plozza)

This was for the RHC task "recommended by a librarian" and it is queer YA! With an amazing supernatural concept about a girl who dies and goes to her happiest moment, only it's inside of a horrible memory in a rundown motel. Seems tailor-made for me, am I right?

Unfortunately I had a lot of issues with it.  The banter is mostly the main character and the angel who designed her heaven calling each other "dick cheese" and "butt face" a lot. Just not clever or cute, honestly. It's also a really frustratingly dumb concept of heaven, which I guess gets figured out by the end but not in a brilliant, The Good Place type of way. The romantic chemistry is minimal. The entire story of our MC's life (and those she leaves behind) is depressing as hell.   

I would have quit this one, I think, if not for the challenge. I have three other librarian recommendations in my library queue so I may read more of them, we shall see! Sorry this was a miss for me.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (by Satoshi Yagisawa)

Read for the"read a book about books" Read Harder category and also recommended by a librarian (although I don't double dip, so the librarian category will be another book). 

As you might have guessed, this is a Japanese novel about a young woman who is a bit adrift in life and goes to live in her uncle's bookshop, the Morisaki bookshop in a famous bookshop area of Tokyo. As with so many Japanese novels, it's restrained and thoughtful and moody and cozy.  And I enjoyed it!

How to Excavate A Heart (by Jake Maia Arlow)

What's this? More queer YA? Why, I never.

Starting with the minor negatives - I found the main character frustrating from the start, but when I got to the conflict at 80% (with percentages on my Kindle app I can assure you there's always a conflict at 80%) it was the worst example of the miscommunication trope ever and I had to put the book down for a while.  (It turned out her reaction had a good reason, which in hindsight was obvious, and I did forgive her very quickly.)  She does have a good growth arc but you'll know pretty quickly when starting the book if you're okay with a very flawed protagonist.

Another minor negative - this is billed as "enemies to lovers" because the characters meet when our MC's mother hits the love interest with her car. And then the love interest is really super mean and nasty for seemingly no reason except to call it "enemies to lovers." (Like why are you so hateful towards the passenger of the car?) It doesn't make sense for her character at all (or her character is just underdeveloped) so by the time you get to the end you look back and think ???? what was that about? 

But the writing is solid. It's legitimately funny without trying too hard. And the details are what really make it: the D.C. setting, the corgi and his little snow booties, the art of David Hockney, a local meteorologist who drinks out of a cup with a picture of himself on it, paleoicthyology, Beatrice and her haunted sex bed. So many delightful details made everything else forgiveable. 

Small Spaces (by Katherine Arden)

Middle grade is not my favorite genre and horror is hit and miss for me, so I really wasn't super exited about this Read Harder category, "read a middle grade horror novel."  But thanks to the recommendations on Goodreads, I decided to check out Small Spaces for this category, and I'm glad I did!

It's age-appropriately creepy (and definitely very creepy) with a wonderful sixth grader, Olivia, who is dealing with grieving the death of her mom and isolating herself emotionally.. until a school field trip goes wrong and the ghostly diary she's been reading seems like it might not just be a ghost story after all.

I read it in a few hours (it's middle grade) but really glad I did.  Another little nudge out of my comfort zone thanks to the RHC. 

Time and Time Again (by Chatham Greenfield)

A really fun time loop novel with a great central romance. Strong, organic representation of two disabled lesbians (one nonbinary) who get stuck in a time loop and, of course, complications ensue.

I loved our main character's arc over the course of the time loop, the main characters' communication skills, the diversity (including size diversity) that seemed purposeful and not shoehorned in, because the characters' diverse identities are actually explored.  Five stars! If I gave stars, which I don't. Man I should have been giving stars this whole time, huh?