Becca

This anthology is imaginative and dark. It centers characters whose suffering is more important to the plot than they themselves are. The Refrigerator Monologues is similar to [b:Sadie 34810320 Sadie Courtney Summers https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1534431396s/34810320.jpg 56026767] in that both explore how early we reach for women's pain as a storytelling hook, while shrugging off the impact of these portrayals.I liked how the stories flowed into one another. The overlap between characters let Valente worldbuild in the background, in a way that enriched when it easily could have distracted.Valente's phrasing can be abrasive, and while sometimes jarring, I think overall the tone works well in contrast with typical depictions of women in superhero stories: as soft damsels who exist to provide emotional support until they become collateral damage.Some of the characters were hard to tell apart. I understand the anthology is about women subject to similar plights, but I still think the perspectives could have been more distinct. Maybe Valente was commenting on how so many girlfriends of superheroes are young blonde white women? But even then, she could have looked at non-romantic relationships, like an older maternal figure, or something unrequited. I will say, I don't know a ton about this genre, so maybe I missed certain references.It starts out strong and ends strong, but it's somewhat lacking the variety that anthologies are uniquely able to provide (a good example such variety would be [b:How Long ‘til Black Future Month? 40855636 How Long ‘til Black Future Month? N.K. Jemisin https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1535169689s/40855636.jpg 63632161]). So if you like more cohesive collections, and you like Valente's writing, you'll love this. I don't think I loved it, but I'm glad I read it. I'm used to reading this sort of analysis via nonfiction journal articles, so this was meta and fun in comparison.

Completely delightful. Affirming and simple but nuanced and sensitive. A refreshing and compassionate way to teach children how to think about physical bodies—both theirs and everyone else's.

This came highly recommended by someone who will likely see this review and physically attack me, but the more it went on, the more I struggled with it.

Feyi is an artist in Brooklyn. She lives with her friend Joy. About five years before the book takes place, Feyi's husband Jonah died tragically in a car accident. She is finally starting to open herself up to romance again, but grief is making the process painful and unpredictable.

I think there is something to the idea that the heart wants what the heart wants—that feelings are not simple or cooperative, and sometimes our desires are not what we consciously know is right or good for us. I also passionately believe that the friendzone is a made up term for the entitlement that some (stereotypically, men) feel to someone's affection and body in exchange for pretending to share their interests. I think it belittles how great friendship is, casting it as a (manipulative) means to an end. So I didn't object to any of those aspects.

What really bothered me was how selfish Feyi and Alim were. Even though they were apologetic, I felt they were still self-centered in their response to Nasir and Lorraine. Like their love alone was important enough to warrant such wreckage. Both seemed resolute that it was worth it, and that was something they could decide on behalf of others. Emezi definitely tried to address this and add nuance, but I just wasn't convinced. I don't think I'm supposed to be, but I am firmly Team Lorraine. This is far more trivial, but also Alim said “sweetness” excessively. And Feyi would not stop justifying everything by saying she was alive. WE KNOW. To be fair, I think those things are more obvious and grating when listening to an audiobook.

All that said, Emezi is undeniably a fantastic writer, and I'm interested to read more of their work. I think they have a lot of talent, a lot of range, and a lot of stories to tell.

This feels like a modern classic. Also, every character is gay.

Monstrilio begins seconds after parents Magos and Joseph realize their son Santiago is dead. This loss rocks them, and they cope in different ways. Their relationship waxes and wanes, with each abandoning the other in turn.

Still, their lives remain intertwined. Largely because Magos has salvaged a piece of Santiago and turned it into a little destructive demon. And I know what you're thinking, oh it's a powerful metaphor for the grief she is perpetually saddled with. And yes, sure, but also it very much is a sentient real being that others can see and interact with. And it is a him. And she names the him Monstrilio.

This is a disturbing, beautiful book about how we move on from emotional wreckage. It is a story about family, home, and change.

It speaks to how grief cannot be civilized or tamed. No matter how long it remains our companion, it will always retain its wild edge and ability to suddenly hurt us. The rawness of grief may and even probably will dull over time, but nothing will map exactly over the hole grief leaves, or stop the sadness from seeping out around the edges.

It is also a book about maladaptive coping. Being in the throes of grief and fully accepting a loss are not one and the same. Sometimes pain is harder to let go of than to live with. When, decades later, we are still letting our grief consume us, sometimes we forget the value of the life still here.

If you want a morally gray book about every kind of love and/or like some grotesque little guys in your books, pick up Monstrilio. It's not a fun or entertaining beach read (especially if you're squeamish and prudish like me), but it is very good. The cover is magic and it would be a wonderful class reading. Move over, Catcher in the Rye.

A Heart in a Body in the World looks at sexism in a refreshing, needed way. Caletti taps into how some boys and men feel entitled to have their desire reciprocated, to the point where they become scary if rejected. She talks about the pressure women feel to say and do things they do not want to protect a man's ego. She also talks about double binds, like how women are expected to somehow be both assertive and self-abdicating.

I also liked how Caletti depicted anger: showing that there are different kinds of anger, and how anger can fuel action. I liked the elements of Italian culture. I liked how Annabelle's brother and friends believed in what she was doing, often more than she could. I thought the author did a good job showing that healing is not linear, and support can take different forms.

This is a heartbreaking and important book about underrepresented aspects of a timely topic. I'm glad I read it, but it left me raw, because it's all too real. I was thrown by some of Caletti's choices —main gripes: some weird body shaming, convenient coupling WITH that trope where multiple generations of two families fall for each other, naming the Taker at the very end (why?), overall pacing—, thus four stars instead of five. But, I wish I had read something like this growing up. It hit me hard.

This was cute, if surface-level. A very quick read that makes some simple points about self-acceptance and defying stereotypes. I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

Some of my friends are pregnant and I'm determined to buy only (but also all of) the best board books and picture books for their home libraries. Also I'm counting these for my yearly reading challenge because it's that kind of year (aka, it's rough out here).

Authored by a licensed psychologist, Empathy is Your Superpower is about how to gain insight and caring into how others feel. It breaks down empathy and compassion into simple terms and uses lots of examples to help little kids figure out all the forms empathy can take and why it is important. There are also activities and discussion questions at the back of the book. Overall, I thought this was great.

A sweet little book about how to approach conversations about differences in physical appearance. I didn't think about how sometimes in trying to stop kids' ogling and pointing, we shut down conversations in a way that can cause what (or who!) they are curious about to feel shameful. This book tackles everything from skin, hair, and eye color to mobility aides, weight, and transition-related procedures.

This is a bite-sized board book for little eyes of little ones about just how much they belong in their new families, and just how loved they are.

We All Play is a calming book about environmental stewardship, caring for animals, and how lots of species play, not just humans. Including a glossary in the back and a website to help with Cree pronunciation are bonuses. Flett's inspiration from her father is another sweet addition. There is a specific word choice that I clocked as a double entendre, but I worry that may be a me problem and mentioning it is more self-incriminating than helpful.

I just love these books. They are adorable and feature cutouts in a clever way. All are about different characters or motifs, but the uniting themes are love, reassurance, and sleeping safe and sound.

A cute and vibrant book about how though we look and feel different from others, functionally our body parts and emotions serve the same purpose for everyone.

Some of the generalizations about body parts left out that some eyes don't see, some mouths don't speak, etc. Also, it felt like the group shots included more variety than the close-up pages, which felt like a strange choice. But, I get that this is a bite-sized message for little ones, and I like that the Sesame Street characters are included.

I like the concept a lot. Simple but effective. The cut-paper pictures are very cute.

I knocked off a star because the search and find aspect was kind of challenging and confusing. I liked that Takeuchi put in different shades of the same color and the pages were a lot of fun to look at, but sometimes you were meant to disregard the same animal (e.g., upright dinosaurs vs. one walking on all four legs, all but one specific type of fish) whereas other times you were supposed to seek out variety (e.g., the snakes not looking like the example image given, because they were all stretched out instead of scrunched into more of a zig-zag).

A seasonal twist on a favorite. It's nice to have these options for if someone has a due date or a child has a birthday falling close to a holiday they celebrate.

Some of us may think of racism and its harms in abstract terms. We know that sometimes, somewhere, somewhen, there exists wrongful discrimination, wrongful convictions, and at worst, wrongful executions. The War Before crystallizes that harm in a collection of essays, interviews, and speeches shared posthumously on behalf of Safiya Bukhari, a member of the Black Panther Party.Because of COINTELPRO, the FBI program overseen by J. Edgar Hoover, the Black Panther Party can be particularly difficult to glean an accurate history of. In early 2020s America, we continue to see how dis- and mis-information are sown to discredit all sorts of political figures, stances, and processes. The War Before is an intense and personal firsthand account of belonging to the Party at both its height and demise. But it's also a fascinating look into the efficacy of “repeating the lie.”Safiya covers much ground. She talks about how viewing yourself as part of a community (vs. as a distinct individual) sustains work against injustice. She talks about how much of themselves members of the BPP sacrificed to the movement; their educations, their families, their health, and often life itself. She talks about how white women universalized their experiences of sexism, while in the same breath decried sexism in the BPP as somehow uniquely pernicious. She makes interesting points about how just as the white working class has historically been pitted against impoverished people of color, so too have Black men and women been pitted against one another. She talks about finding Islam and how it informed her political organizing. I always find it interesting to read about how spirituality fueled much of the Civil Rights Movement, whether it be through Christianity as with Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis, through Islam (in- and out- side of the Nation of Islam), or interfaith involvement by Unitarian Universalists. One last takeaway that I found equal parts inspiring and tragic: how very young so many of our most dedicated activists are. Safiya talks about folks joining the cause at age 15, 16. This pattern replicates today in figures like Greta Thunberg, Malala Yousafzai, David Hogg, and perhaps most relevant here, Mari Copeny, aka “Little Miss Flint.”If you've made it this far, I'd suggest this to people who liked [b:When They Call You a Terrorist 34964998 When They Call You a Terrorist A Black Lives Matter Memoir Patrisse Khan-Cullors https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1499148072l/34964998.SX50.jpg 56239969], [b:Assata 100322 Assata An Autobiography Assata Shakur https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328857268l/100322.SX50.jpg 943760], or really any [a:Angela Davis 5863103 Angela Y. Davis https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1588859674p2/5863103.jpg]. On the other hand, it stands in stark contrast to something like [b:Black Klansman 37901607 Black Klansman Race, Hate, and the Undercover Investigation of a Lifetime Ron Stallworth https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1522357130l/37901607.SY75.jpg 41816799] or even the [b:March 17346698 March Book One (March, #1) John Lewis https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1360539808l/17346698.SX50.jpg 24086771] graphic novels.

Colorful and adorable illustrations. I mean look at this guy:

I do like that each set of two pages has a theme, but some of the themes did not excite me or feel relevant. Why are we teaching children so much about farms? What am I missing?

I had to stop reading this book while out because I don't like crying in public.

Nowhere Boy is beautiful. It is heartwarming and heartwrenching. It is about becoming informed about history to inform and better how we view and behave in the present. It is about taking the time and making the effort to interrogate reactive, divisive stereotypes. It is about how getting to know others can help us find ourselves. It is about trusting people enough to give them a chance to show up for you when you need support. It is about kindness and bravery and the symbiosis of the two.

I had some concerns about white saviorism going in, but I think Marsh largely steered clear. I'm sure there are shortcomings, but overall I think Nowhere Boy is an incredibly salient publication in our political context, and many adults could benefit from reading it.

An unexpectedly hilarious book about a slew of exuberant loved ones turning an unsuspecting child's home and life itself into a sensory madhouse.

I like that the aunts all look different but have the exact same smile. I like how much and how little they pay attention. I like how Rex levels with the frustration and overwhelm that can come with hosting company, especially when you're a kid who doesn't have much control over things.

I would say this of all books makes me want to lead a Storytime at the library, but I know better. I will never do it. There is no book that will make me do it.

This is a nice board book about how the concepts of consent and autonomy are present from a very young age and relevant to tons of relationships and situations, not just romantic and/or sexual settings. The back has more in-depth discussion and resources for adults to learn about and apply.

I really struggled with this one. I am a tough sell on thrillers in general, in that I really like [b:No Exit|39938177|No Exit|Taylor Adams|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1541624527l/39938177.SY75.jpg|56940541], but also I only like [b:No Exit|39938177|No Exit|Taylor Adams|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1541624527l/39938177.SY75.jpg|56940541]. I went into this thinking it would be like [b:The Husbands|54860592|The Husbands|Chandler Baker|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1600741982l/54860592.SY75.jpg|85600099] meets Ingrid Goes West. It was a touch of both, but it was mostly just not at all my cup of tea at all I did not like it.

The Hunting Wives has a good cover and name, and that is where my praise begins and ends. Cobb's writing is just an endless list of telling you what is happening beat by beat. The timeline is sometimes out of order but not in a way that adds intrigue or complexity; it just doesn't make sense. The characters are mostly miserable, but again, not in a way that feels compelling.

There are a few Good Guys who are just boring (Graham and Erin), and Sophie's betrayal of them is inexplicable. Speaking of Sophie, I hate her. She is a static figure in the midst of increasingly high stakes, and is so flummoxed and slow on the uptake it is impossible to pull for her. Every choice she makes is such a bad call it did not even occur to me as a potential course of action.

Her fixation on Margo is her only consistency, but is poorly explained. She is also, if you ask me, a pedophile. You won't believe this, but she's not even the only or main pedophile. The way this book talks about sex is so deeply troubling and off. And not in a salacious dark way, just like, Bad. The obvious examples are Brad and Jamie, who are never cast as victims of older predatory women, and are often described as rippling with strength and confidence and touting sexual experience. Gross! Gross. I'll say it again: gross. They are babies. Infidelity is rampant and casual, and while I am all for exploring options outside of monogamy, cheating on your spouse every weekend in front of your friends is not that.

What really gets me is, Sophie asked to move here. She'd lived in this place before—she knows what it's like. She may be bored and looking for excitement, but it's only been eight months. It's not like her ugly unhelpful husband dragged her to the countryside and she's been trapped gardening for years until Margo waltzes into town. Graham is cast as an involved, doting, attractive partner. She loves him and their son. She seems to like a lot about her life! None of it makes sense.

To each their own, and I feel mean when I dislike a book this much. But the more I type the more irritated I become. It feels like a man wrote this, and I mean that as an insult. Do not read this.

Todd Parr's classic bold, vibrant artwork walks young readers through gruesome, decidedly not boring mac n cheese concoctions brought to a party where they will seemingly eat dozens of varieties of mac n cheese, which to be fair is kind of a dream party for me.

It's a cute little story about trying new foods and being open to cuisine we might not already know a lot about. I liked that Parr included two recipes in the back as well, that are simple but expansive enough for different dietary restrictions and preferences.

Recently I was watching a YouTube video about meal prep, my endless battle as someone who wants to eat healthy, but hates diet culture, and who also resents the way we've set up our society to leave me two days of the week to cram my life into around work (hello coworkers, I love my job but I am correct in hating the way we do life).

Anyway, the video was sponsored by WeWork. This threw me for such a loop that I listened to a 450+ page nonfiction book about it. My interest in white collar criminals is casual; I watched and liked both The Social Network and The Dropout. And also an Elon Musk documentary about how he's a cruel liar loser, who would have thought.

What really fascinates me is the psychology and groupthink woven into startup culture. The cult-like frenzy that leads companies lacking substance to skyrocket in relevance and value. The self-righteous fervor around a noble, transcendent mission they can't even articulate. The pretentious word salad they expect others to not just buy into, but laud.

The hypocrisy of laying off hundreds of people and banning the rest from eating meat while taking your private jets across the globe daily because you'd rather talk in-person than do a video conference call. The party culture that stokes reckless conduct and muddies the waters between the professional and personal until they're one big blob. How much your work shapes your worldview.

TL;DR— all grifts are one and the same and the worst criminals always have been and always will be rich white people. That's the conclusion I drew, at least. This is an oddly political Goodreads review.

The audiobook is extremely well done. The narrator is fantastic. The research is so meticulous you feel like a fly on the wall. It's a horrifying yet somehow entertaining story about rising and falling equally fast. For fans of both [b:The Great Gatsby|4671|The Great Gatsby|F. Scott Fitzgerald|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1490528560l/4671.SY75.jpg|245494] and [b:Bad Blood|37976541|Bad Blood Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup|John Carreyrou|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1523311515l/37976541.SX50.jpg|59699437].

Very cute front and back covers, and endpaper.

I think this is a good primer on vegetarian, dairy-free, and vegan recipes. I thought the tips and equipment at the beginning were thoughtful.

The recipes offered were simple and buildable, but none felt super creative or groundbreaking. I don't think that's necessarily a strength or weakness; I'm just trying to give an idea of what to expect. The illustrations of ingredients and end products were darling, but personally I love me some nice big photos.

The Husbands and [b:Stepford Wives|52350|The Stepford Wives|Ira Levin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554371721l/52350.SY75.jpg|1534281] pose the same questions:

How is household labor divided by gender? Whose career aspirations are treated as an inevitable priority, while the others' are collateral damage? Who is ultimately to blame when things don't get done? What does it take to make both spouses happy with the effort the other is putting in on a daily basis?

This was entertaining and I flew through it. Admittedly, the social commentary is incessant and hamfisted. I found the broad questions raised kind of compelling, but I can see how others might find it grating, and I don't know that it would win over anyone unreceptive.

Great cover and good audiobook production. I wish it had been in first person instead of third. Some twists were kind of predictable letdowns, but that's not the first time I've felt that way about contemporary thrillers (see also Gone Girl and The Woman in the Window).

If you like [b:Little Fires Everywhere|34273236|Little Fires Everywhere|Celeste Ng|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1522684533l/34273236.SY75.jpg|52959357], [b:Such a Fun Age|43923951|Such a Fun Age|Kiley Reid|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1557181911l/43923951.SY75.jpg|63995465], [b:Big Little Lies|33516773|Big Little Lies|Liane Moriarty|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1559835163l/33516773.SY75.jpg|27570886] (cards on the table, I watched the first season on HBO but haven't read the book), [b:The Mere Wife|36332136|The Mere Wife|Maria Dahvana Headley|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1517581442l/36332136.SY75.jpg|58009682], this graphic novel about [b:The Mental Load|39196352|The Mental Load A Feminist Comic|Emma|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1529064620l/39196352.SX50.jpg|60776633], or the movie Get Out, you'll likely have fun with The Husbands. I may try [b:Whisper Network|41555931|Whisper Network|Chandler Baker|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562758669l/41555931.SY75.jpg|61072596] soon.

Darling endpaper, clever, thoughtful text, and a good message about focusing on free tiny delights.

I think this is a cute and accessible way to introduce mindfulness and gratitude to little ones. The only thing I'm a little iffy on is, I wish there was less focus on “if you're sad, look at this dog,” instead of making it clear that sometimes we feel sad, and that's okay (or, alternatively and preferably, making it clear that you don't have to be thankful for little things only to cheer yourself up).