I’ll admit this to you right now – this is a kind of outdated list of reading material for me. I dropped out of reading regularly at the end of 2020, so these books are mostly from November and the fall. I will post a more update version next time, but I couldn’t resist posting this anyway!
You Should See Me in a Crown – Leah Johnson – 3 Stars
Ultimately, this book was alright. Everyone in the book club
agreed that the ending left a lot of loose ends, but we’re hoping for a second
book to carry on from where it left off. I also feel like a lot of storylines
were there to check off some kind of teenage issue checklist. Because they were
not addressed later on, I didn’t see the point in including some of these
moments.
The story itself is wonderful. It’s powerful and adorable
and has some lovely moments that will pull at your heartstrings. I liked that
the characters that identified as gay were just themselves trying to navigate
the world around them. For those of us who are attuned to microagressions, it
makes for an interesting read about friendship and identity.
The Whisper Network – Chandler Baker – 4 Stars
I did not expect this book to be as interesting as it was. When
I re-read the description, I thought that I had added it as an easy women’s lit
choice. Boy, was I wrong. What I was met with is a dynamic group of women
coming together to use rumours to extricate their sexual harasser at work. It’s
a complex and interesting book that perfectly illustrates the answer to the
question, “Well, if it was happening at work, why didn’t she just say something
about it?”
The format takes place through narration, depositions,
online group chats, character statements, and emails. This allows readers to
understand that the man they are talking about is one that seems amazing on the
outside. It’s also told in the perspective of all the women in the friend
group. I normally don’t like this kind of telling, but it worked so well for
this kind of book. Each woman had vastly different lives and when the whole
picture comes together, it provided a powerful message about the fact that
harassment and assault can happen to anyone.
The story itself is clever because we slowly start to see
what becomes unravelled and where. The women getting together as friends,
colleagues, and confidants is so powerful and serves as a reminder to what
women can accomplish when they work together.
Manhattan Beach – Jennifer Egan – 1 Star
I honestly can’t say anything about this book. I love Egan’s
writing, but something about this book could not get me to focus. I could not
tell you what it was about. Nothing against Egan at all – I just couldn’t get
into this for some reason.
Juliet Takes a Breath – Gabby Rivera – 4 Stars
This was another book club pick, and I am sooooo glad we
chose this one. Now, we all have a crush on Gabby Rivera. I think we all loved
the book.
At first, I was rather hesitant about the hippy-dippy
elements of the book, but the main character’s voice is also so hesitant and critical
about it. It makes everything she observes feel relatable. It also reminds us
that we don’t have to be completely in the know when it comes to being “woke.”
It invites readers to be critical of the voices we hear from the most in order
to learn about the world for ourselves.
Book Reviews Posted Elsewhere (all books given to me for
free in exchange for a review):
E-ON – Dave Mason – 3 Stars
https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/eo-n-dave-mason#review
‘
Like No Other Boy – larry centre – 4 Stars
https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/like-no-other-boy-larry-center#review
Read any of these? Have any
suggestions? Post them in the comments below!
-
Daniella
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