Becca

Even better than the pancakes version in the same series. There were more ways to develop fine motor control, and the twirling fork was very impressive to me.

I, too, relate to asking everyone for advice in a panic only to do my own thing anyway.

I LOVE TREES

A swee little story about realizing that you are, and have always been, enough and important and loved. The painted illustrations feel quaint and cozy.

A quiet, translated Estonian story about an old couple that integrates a retired classroom anatomy skeleton into their lives, providing themselves companionship as they work the land, entertain grandkids, and navigate old age together.

It is sweet but not without heartache. It tackles the inevitability of mortality with a tinge of hope, showing how passing down memories helps both our loved ones and culture live on.

For the weird kids who find themselves in stories like [b:The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale|60539545|The Skull A Tyrolean Folktale|Jon Klassen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1671459705l/60539545.SX50.jpg|95411730], [b:Oscar Seeks a Friend|43572576|Oscar Seeks a Friend|Paweł Pawlak|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563406743l/43572576.SX50.jpg|56511276] (translated from Polish), [b:Bog Myrtle|205063378|Bog Myrtle|Sid Sharp|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1712234568l/205063378.SX50.jpg|211055705], [b:Through the Woods|18659623|Through the Woods|Emily Carroll|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1414845473l/18659623.SX50.jpg|26477611], [b:A House Called Awful End|330053|A House Called Awful End (Eddie Dickens Trilogy, #1)|Philip Ardagh|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328867483l/330053.SX50.jpg|526468], and A Series of Unfortunate Events.

It also reminded me a bit of the Dutch characters [b:Jip en Janneke|1484848|Jip en Janneke (Jip en Janneke, #1-5)|Annie M.G. Schmidt|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1253453723l/1484848.SX50.jpg|1476009]. Maybe even [b:We Are Okay|28243032|We Are Okay|Nina LaCour|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1471899036l/28243032.SY75.jpg|48277368]?

A cute little touch-and-feel book with some reflective letters. I wish there was a little more to interact with.

Love the illustrations and color theme, and the pages have a nice weight. The story itself is open-ended enough to provide good lessons about a lot of themes: open-mindedness, independence, adventurous eating, trying new things and introducing others to new ideas, sharing meals with community, the list goes on.

An adorable book about a hardworking grandma who toils in the months leading up to Christmas to make and sell homemade tamales. She uses the money earned to buy Christmas gifts for her kids, and their kids, and their kids. She also gives those struggling during the holiday season tamales for free, as well as other lots of other goodies.

Major themes include thoughtful foresight and preparation, labors of love, and sharing wealth with others, whether by treating loved ones to gifts or by helping to carry neighbors and others in our community through times of scarcity. It pays homage to the author's real grandmother, who one year made an inconceivable 12,000 tamales.

In all, Briseño and Sánchez have crafted a sweet holiday picture book about honoring culture heritage, family traditions, and principles of generosity and mutual aid.

An intentional picture book about how people all over the world celebrate different holidays in the cold dark months, gathering together to honor their culture and beliefs, share in food and traditions, and look forward to brighter days ahead. Surprisingly good disability rep, and more in-depth explanations of different holidays and events are included at the back.

This is feminist fiction at its best. Exploration of power dynamics, autonomy, the role of mothers and fathers, husbands and wives. But what I really like is that while it is dark, it's also a lot of fun. It's not just bleak literary fiction about how abuse seeps everywhere. It's both disturbing and entertaining. I'm going to steer clear of plot summary because there are a lot of twists and turns that I don't want to ruin for anyone. I'd go in knowing as little as possible. Very generally, it is about cloning technology and relationships.If you like the movies Ruby Sparks or Ex Machina, the Netflix series Dead to Me, any other [a:Sarah Gailey 15045277 Sarah Gailey https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1612480065p2/15045277.jpg], or [b:The Murders of Molly Southbourne 34417038 The Murders of Molly Southbourne (Molly Southbourne, #1) Tade Thompson https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1495129861l/34417038.SY75.jpg 55520132], I bet you'd like this. It's a new favorite for me.

The Girls I've Been opens with an awkward trip to deposit a check at the bank. Nora is muddling through with her girlfriend Iris and her ex-boyfriend Wes. Thirty seconds later, they're hostages in a bank robbery. That's when we begin to find out who Nora really is. Or rather, who Nora has been. Nora's mom is a con artist. Throughout her childhood, Nora was involved in different cons orchestrated by her mom. In each of them, she was assigned a specific role to play. A new sense of style, a new personality, a new name. Eventually Nora managed to escape, but she is far from safe. But she also has a lot of experience doing what it takes to survive—defying the odds and making tough choices to make it out of horrible circumstances alive. And that is what Nora spends the book doing: trying again and again to survive.This will probably come as no surprise, but this book is dramatic and intense. It covers heavy topics such as sexual abuse, domestic violence, and endometriosis. It ends with a list of crisis line numbers, which I took as an indication that the author understands both the weight of these issues, and that sometimes young people are faced with trauma no kid should have to live through. The book does a good job at covering healing, therapy, and chosen/found family. It is a pretty unusual genre and premise for YA. I found the audiobook narrator grating and over the top at times, but I think I may just be getting old y'all.I'd recommend this to fans of [b:The Female of the Species 25812109 The Female of the Species Mindy McGinnis https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1455917180l/25812109.SY75.jpg 45668311] and [b:Sadie 34810320 Sadie Courtney Summers https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1556559178l/34810320.SY75.jpg 56026767]—like The Girls I've Been, both are about fiercely loyal sisters. Also [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] and [a:Kristen Lepionka 15613182 Kristen Lepionka https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1480818152p2/15613182.jpg].

Lots and lots of flaps to lift, most with illustrations on the reverse side, to in essence replace one image for another. It is fun and sweet, but did not blow me away.

For some reason I deeply disliked this? It felt disjointed and unfunny. In all fairness, it may be because I am a 30-year-old adult and not a child.

Move over, Tuttle Twins, this is the kid lit about work we so desperately need. This book compiles interviews with people who have unique jobs, all over the world. They talk about the skills their work involves, what drew them to it or inspires them, its challenges and meaning.

Featured are real people who transport giraffes in trucks full of trees for them to snack on, Irish beeswax candle makers, a couple who runs an antique toy store in the Bronx. Indigenous tour guides, Dutch flower farmers, Indian muralists, a Korean designer who loves knitting furniture out of rope. People who drive ferries, repair instruments, increase accessibility, take good care of alpacas. A woman who got so sick of having poor experiences with car repair that she became a mechanic herself, and is helping other women do the same.

The book ends with the author and illustrator each describing their own jobs, and includes a guide for interviewing people yourself, a glossary, and open-ended prompts throughout the book.

In a chaotic world full of overnight Amazon deliveries and generative AI “art,” this book is a refreshing depiction of slow living, small business, sustainability, and finding pursuits that allow us to live our values. Also, and perhaps most importantly, I must try a bagel with ricotta and fresh figs in honor of Joe Bagel himself.

Well well well, if it isn't the sweetest thing in the entire world. Nielsen shows how friendship and understanding overcome language barriers, and how putting ourselves out there enriches our lives. The illustrations are so soft. Also I'm shelving it as gay and no one can stop me.

Me furiously writing this review in a Google Doc:You ever read a nonfiction book so good that not only do you give it five stars, but you also remove ratings for multiple novels which poorly featured its subject? Looking at you, [a:Angie Kim 18035146 Angie Kim https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1679593689p2/18035146.jpg].We're Not Broken is penned by Eric Garcia, a journalist currently at The Washington Post, with a lengthy CV. Garcia covers the history of autism, primarily in the United States: past and present Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) criteria, shifting cultural attitudes about disability and neurodiversity, controversial practices and organizations (ABA, Autism Speaks), and more.He describes the inherent limitations of the business case for diversity (do not get me started), and how diverse hiring efforts fizzle out after recruitment, when retention is the real test. I learned a lot about sheltered workshops, many of which pay disabled people below federal minimum wage, which is already nowhere near a livable wage (do not get me started). Someone smarter than me should write a book about this and prison labor and undocumented labor.Garcia also discusses language, pointing out a myriad of issues with labels like “high functioning,” “low functioning,” and “special needs.” He explores the strong focus on finding a cause of and/or cure for autism, citing specific ads and PSAs drawing parallels between autism and cancer, or autism and criminals holding our children hostage. He looks at how the suffering and opinions of an autistic persons' family often take precedence over asking the person with the diagnosis how they feel and what they need. Garcia zeroes in on this while also researching how broader stereotypes about gender, race, age, and class factor into the ability to obtain a diagnosis in the first place.Especially for its length, the book is a wealth of knowledge. It is nuanced but not dense, and it flows together well. Garcia himself is autistic. Like Angela Chen's [b:Ace 52128695 Ace What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex Angela Chen https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1580804471l/52128695.SX50_SY75.jpg 73599792] (and works by [a:Devon Price 15184474 Devon Price https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1601572773p2/15184474.jpg]), personal anecdotes and experiences of the author are included, but they are surrounded by quotes from scientific studies and interviews with dozens of experts. I really like this approach. Instead of “objective” scholarship from a sterile distance, the author has skin in the game.I also loved that Garcia narrated the audiobook himself. I liked his cadence, introspection, and especially the way he says acronyms so I can actually hear and remember the letters. Still, it would be nice to own a hard copy. There are some great quotes and an index at the back.I have got to read [b:NeuroTribes 22514020 NeuroTribes The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity Steve Silberman https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1421707890l/22514020.SY75.jpg 41957894]. And also [b:Sincerely, Your Autistic Child 54615849 Sincerely, Your Autistic Child Sharon daVanport https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1605573791l/54615849.SY75.jpg 49605219]. And also [b:All the Weight of Our Dreams 29360622 All the Weight of Our Dreams On Living Racialized Autism Lydia X.Z. Brown https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1500318509l/29360622.SY75.jpg 49605278]. And also

No one makes listless ennui compelling like Weike Wang.

Rental House follows Keru and Nate, an interracial couple whose vacation getaways are continually marked by weird tension and cultural divides with their in-laws. Their lives are intertwined, yet everyone feels misunderstood by everyone else.

Both people in the relationship struggle with what exactly their role is — when to defend themselves or their partner, and when to let things slide. And also just like, the background pressure to have an enjoyable relaxing time off as an adult with adult responsibilities and complex family dynamics.

Low stakes pleasantries seem to drag on forever. Sometimes they spark jealousy, and other times they feel insufferable. Remarks made in passing cause things to suddenly escalate. Hot-button issues keep resurfacing over the years, especially the decision of whether to have children, and American politics and race relations.

I think Keru is a fascinating character. How Nate's background affords him the privilege and flexibility to live his values in a way she feels would be letting her parents down, even as they adore him for doing so. The impulsive bursts of rage amid her perfectly manicured corporate life. The hints at past incidents and how passive aggressive white people are startled and scared of her in these moments, but even more scared to acknowledge it directly. This pattern of behavior and the book's cover seem to foreshadow a grand reveal, but in the end Keru's burst of energy is simply shaking herself out of the stupor her family has been wading through like molasses for the whole book. Also, real ones suspect Keru was pregnant in Part One. I'm real ones.

It's not the searing social commentary of Parasite or even [b:Good Talk|36700347|Good Talk A Memoir in Conversations|Mira Jacob|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1534098775l/36700347.SX50.jpg|56227420], and some may find the story and characters tedious, but I gobbled this up overnight and quite liked it. I think, in part, because the audiobook narration is so good.

Jen Zhao voices different accents, ages, and genders all convincingly. It's also the inflection. Listening to someone else read dialogue can be hit-or-miss, because it doesn't always match up with how I would interpret tone if reading the print book. The delivery in this audiobook feels correct and brings life to the text.

For fans of [b:Chemistry|31684925|Chemistry|Weike Wang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1479350390l/31684925.SY75.jpg|52358042] by the same author, as well as [b:We Have Always Lived in the Castle|89724|We Have Always Lived in the Castle|Shirley Jackson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1704229774l/89724.SX50.jpg|847007], [b:Small Things Like These|58662236|Small Things Like These|Claire Keegan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1734631773l/58662236.SX50.jpg|86476810], [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|94930152], [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], and [b:Severance|36348525|Severance|Ling Ma|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1507060524l/36348525.SY75.jpg|58029884].

I will hack Goodreads so I can give this book six stars. And yet, I don't even know how to summarize it well.

As a library worker who's put together more than one Pride display, pickings are slim for the ace/aro spectrum, to say the least. This is complicated further by the fact that while some nonfiction topics are relatively static, gender and sexuality evolve rapidly. I was delighted to see this and [b:How to Be Ace|54403237|How to Be Ace A Memoir of Growing Up Asexual|Rebecca Burgess|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1602700467l/54403237.SX50.jpg|84893786] come out in recent years, but am just getting around to reading one myself.

I went in thinking this would have a “Ace 101” feel with a lot of basics, terminology, and education. And it did have some of that, but that's only the tip of the iceberg. I am so impressed by the scope and nuance of this text.

For a book about a niche minority, its appeal and relevance are universal. Meaning, this is not only for people who already know they are—or wonder if they or someone close to them might be—ace or aro. It can be about that, and I don't want to diminish that at all. But what I learned most of all is that taking the time and making the effort to understand asexuality can help everyone progress towards open communication about desire and intimacy.

Suffice it to say, this was a really eye-opening and compelling listen (and I quite liked the audiobook narrator, too!), which is probably obvious by this long and varied list of books it reminded me of at different points: [b:The New Jim Crow|6792458|The New Jim Crow Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness|Michelle Alexander|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328751532l/6792458.SX50.jpg|6996712], [b:How to Be an Antiracist|40265832|How to Be an Antiracist|Ibram X. Kendi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1560163756l/40265832.SY75.jpg|62549152], [b:Hood Feminism|36687229|Hood Feminism Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot|Mikki Kendall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1577489813l/36687229.SY75.jpg|58481445], [b:Killing the Black Body|229445|Killing the Black Body Race, Reproduction, and the Meaning of Liberty|Dorothy Roberts|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388801372l/229445.SY75.jpg|222199], [b:Reproductive Rights and Wrongs|29633769|Reproductive Rights and Wrongs The Global Politics of Population Control|Betsy Hartmann|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1470694935l/29633769.SX50.jpg|1273040], [b:Not All Dead White Men|38240525|Not All Dead White Men Classics and Misogyny in the Digital Age|Donna Zuckerberg|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1524483798l/38240525.SY75.jpg|59922909], and [b:The State of Affairs|34017010|The State of Affairs Rethinking Infidelity|Esther Perel|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1495687620l/34017010.SY75.jpg|55014433].

An aptly named book!

Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend stars Dan, a 29-year-old man on vacation with his girlfriend Mara. While they are enjoying the beach at a new resort on a small island, the sun explodes. This really throws a wrench in things.

Now, I love a ridiculous piece of media. And this book combines a lot of my favorite things: megachurch and/or MLM satire (Righteous Gemstones), disaster striking and every “leader” being woefully inept (Avenue 5), humor with a backdrop of troubling current events (Derry Girls), the list goes on. And still, I really did not care for it.

One issue I had was the language and references Wassmer uses. Edgelord quips abound. The snarky social commentary and bad jokes are more of a time capsule than timeless; I think it will quickly go from feeling current to cringey.

The book is also way too long for the story it tells. It's pushing 400 pages, and I was tired halfway through. I compromised with myself by upping the playback speed. It could have been a novella, honestly. For it to be even 300 pages, a lot more would need to happen. Or we'd need a different main character. Ideally both.

Third smaller gripe: Why does the Space Telescope Science Institute care more about recreating the Stanford Prison Experiment than actually studying exoplanets? Or any other part of space? Obviously just make the company a front the name is laughably terrible.

I have two big gripes: one I have seen in other books, and one specific to this one.

First, white men writing women and romantic relationships so poorly that it overshadows a cool speculative fiction premise. You might think that is sexist and racist of me. But I am not seeking out author photos or searching names before I read books. I have a life to live, I am never caught up on laundry. I can tell because the writing is ass in the same exact way every time. And every time I feel like, “It sure does feel like a white man wrote this,” I am RIGHT. It reeks of it. I have seen this with [b:Reincarnation Blues|33571217|Reincarnation Blues|Michael Poore|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1500555996l/33571217.SY75.jpg|54372404], [b:The Humans|16130537|The Humans|Matt Haig|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1353739654l/16130537.SY75.jpg|21955852], [b:Dark Matter|27833670|Dark Matter|Blake Crouch|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1472119680l/27833670.SY75.jpg|43161998], and it is always a bummer.

Every time, the male protagonist is a fairly flat character, almost a self-insert (this time the male protagonist is actually urged to become an author elle oh elle dude). The only consistent morals or motivations he has are to Protect His Woman No Matter What. But then the woman has even less dimension than he does. And, often we are viewing the woman love interest through the man's eyes. So then it's hard to square his primal drive to kill every threat to her with his bare hands, with the fact that he does not even seem to view her as human. In the end, everything feels hollow.

Here, Dan never seems to view Mara as his equal. She's either way too good for him or a child with a “flair for dramatics,” as he reiterates throughout the book. Cool.

Also, is it imposter syndrome if you are an imposter? Dan is always having crises about measuring up and success and masculinity. I was excited to explore that more. These issues are real and I think they can be particularly tricky for men to navigate because of societal roles and pressures about showing emotion or vulnerability, being able to provide for your family, etc.

But also, Dan...just sucks. He thinks he is better than his job because he was labeled a gifted kid? He thinks he is better than Building C? He constantly, consciously pushes down his emotions. He is mean. He is a coward. He shows zero initiative, charisma, or authority, yet everyone looks to him. He's like “I have no skills,” and I'm like, yeah, it is a problem. Mara keeps saying he is a good writer, but we have no indication of that. Is he meant to be writing this very book? Is it that much of a self-insert? Either way, woof.

I will say, the narrator of the audiobook was so great. Stephen R. Thorne did a great job, specifically with Pete and Charles. Very entertaining performance, and this was not his fault.

Men will literally get a dozen penguins as pets before helping with housework. Mr. Popper is a menace, and no one knows that better than Mrs. Popper.

I read this as a kid, but barely remembered it and wanted something the exact opposite of Dracula. This was far more violent than I remembered, but also, separately, far more funny than I remembered. When he gets tangled in the leash? When the cops and firefighters pick sides? Comedy gold.

The audiobook is an absolute delight. The music, sound effects, and Nick Sullivan's narration and different voices are all top notch. Weird patriotism notwithstanding, this is (for me) a cute nostalgic story about how pets and special interests make life worth living. And also money. People need money.

3.5 stars, rounded down. This book was so fun, perfect for fans of Knives Out and/or Glass Onion. But also, a good depiction of emotional abuse? It has a little substance to it, which I need in a romance. And I liked that it faded to black because I am a prude.

Also I learned that romance audiobooks are way better when there are male narrators in the mix, and more broadly, a larger and more varied cast than a single narrator. Sometimes someone trying to mimic a character of a different gender can take you out of the story a bit.

Ethan is a great love interest in that he simultaneously embodies and eschews traditional masculinity. His former profession explains a lot of physical capability, but even then he was trying to find wiggle room within his dad's harsh expectations to take bullets instead of firing them. And the industry in which he ultimately ends up has everything to do with his mother.



Also what is hotter than a man who reiterates 500 times a day how right you are and gives you all the credit? King of consent, takes women's headaches seriously, provides snacks, good with kids, listens and remembers details, knows to wear those certain kind of glasses and roll his sleeves up, disdain for other men, it's all coming up rosy.

Now, if he was not hot and the feelings were not reciprocated it would be a lot less charming but this is a fictional book and also men should love women more than women love men. Unsure what I mean by that but I'm sticking to it. It's like Hal and Lois from Malcolm in the Middle.

What prevented me from rating this higher are that it was probably 50 pages too long, due to two main factors: 1) repetitive phrasing and 2) epilogues.

1) Sometimes I think the repetition is more obvious when you're listening to the audiobook. Here are some things that were said a million times:
• Maggie is like “I'm spending Christmas with my nemesis. But somehow, in the back of my mind, it feels so right.”
• Maggie should be afraid but she isn't because she feels safe with Ethan.
• Ethan, in the middle of a crisis, is like “Wow actually nothing matters except Maggie” bro we know
• Ethan is not joking even though he's usually joking. This time he is not joking even a little bit.
• Ethan says, “Maggie,” and nothing else.
• Ethan says, “It's okay.”

2) WHY do romances do the weird epilogues?!?? Leave some ambiguity and let me fill in the gaps or be content with not following these characters through the rest of their lives. If you read this book (and I do recommend it), I would stop at Chapter 66. Maybe a chapter or two earlier, depending on how you like your endings. Don't bother with the Locked Room or Epilogue bits, they are boring and trite.

Anyway, as mentioned I would pick this up if you like Knives Out, Glass Onion, [b:My Roommate Is a Vampire|60041932|My Roommate Is a Vampire (My Vampires, #1)|Jenna Levine|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1665612756l/60041932.SY75.jpg|94663345], [b:You Deserve Each Other|50027029|You Deserve Each Other|Sarah Hogle|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1578144336l/50027029.SX50.jpg|68651245], or [b:The Flatshare|41393171|The Flatshare|Beth O'Leary|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1627750351l/41393171.SY75.jpg|58189559].

A really silly yet sweet novel that begins with a very elderly substitute teacher dying in a Texas high school's faculty lounge.

Soon after, the school principal is dismayed to learn the late teacher's dying wish was to have his ashes spread on school grounds. He talks himself into honoring this request, only to be caught in the act by a horrified PTA mom, who promptly turns it into a PR nightmare.

The principal, teachers, and other staff must navigate the school year following AshGate under intense scrutiny by district administrators and helicopter parents bemoaning critical race theory, though they cannot define the term.

Each chapter follows a different worker at Baldwin High. Brand new teachers, veteran teachers, guidance counselors, vice principals, school nurses, custodians. Sometimes they struggle to “stay in their lane,” other times they answer to parents who question their judgment, expertise, and motivations while they attempt to carry out the most basic aspects of their job.

Staff surprise themselves and one another, in good and bad ways. Many are dedicated to their craft but struggling to make it through each day. Some are holding out for retirement, others are desperate to quit. They may be too hard on themselves or too easy on others.

They are made to take the unserious so seriously. Nothing turns into something. Other times, they turn something into nothing, quietly resolving major issues. The characters are flawed and human.

There were a few weird commentary Things about sexual harassment and addiction that I wish had been handled a little differently, and it did become a little saccharine for me at some points, but overall I found this to be a funny and touching portrayal of how ridiculous serving the public and working with kids feels day-to-day. It did also make me yell in panicked surprise multiple times, always a plus.

For fans of sitcoms like Abbott Elementary, English Teacher, or Superstore.

Have you ever wanted a coming of age magic school book but it is intensely severe and depressing and set in Russia? Have you ever been meaning to read it for years but you finally get around to it in January 2025 and the state of the world and your regular depression and your seasonal depression and of course the book itself all join forces and reading it is a really dark and strange experience? Have you ever kind of liked it anyway? Has this ever happened to you?

When Vita Nostra begins, Sasha is enjoying a beach vacation with her mom, until she notices that wherever she goes, the same man is watching and following her. After trying to elude him, they talk and he gives her a bizarre assignment. Task complete and vacation over, Sasha's life slowly starts feeling normal again. Until the man shows up again, with a new task. And then later, with an acceptance letter to a school at which he is an advisor. The book spans her first three years studying at the school, most of which is spent trying to nail down what she is even studying, let alone why.

Vita Nostra is beautifully descriptive book. The setting of Torpa is a strong point, how your adult life away from your parents and childhood can feel both comforting and desolate. Just how little and scared 18-year-olds truly are. The process of learning is also central, framed as this agonizing tug of war intertwined with the wellbeing of your loved ones, walking a tightrope between the discipline of hard work and the discipline it takes to pace yourself.

At many points Sasha reads like an unreliable narrator, because her experience of life is jagged and sporadic, a lot of shifting and morphing. She is being turned inside out, sure only of what she will lose if she fails. The book explores love as a deep fear for the wellbeing of others. Although also, maybe it's because I'm a bleeding heart, maybe it's because I know how much fear and trauma can inhibit action, but I'm just...not convinced that everyone needed to be that mean. I am just not convinced we needed to be out here killing grandmas because of failed pop quizzes. Does not seem like the superlative or primary way to motivate people, especially perpetually.

I do think (at least in the English translation), the plot got muddy. There were elements that felt repetitive and gratuitous. All this tension would build up, everything would seem so immense, and then the book would just continue. A lot of huge moments were undercut by this pattern, and it made the book feel a lot longer, but less impactful. Also, why were all these guys so wrapped up in their students' sex lives? To that I say, GROSS. Gross and disgusting and unnecessary and stop that. They seemed plenty scary and severe and omniscient without that element. Don't even get me started on Farit pimping out Lily for no reason? And that just being an open secret no one does anything about? That part was hard for me to read around.

No idea what to compare this to, but the cover is incredible, and it is a rare instance where I do not feel let down by my initial intrigue by a predictable or silly reveal. The Dyachenkos followed through, and then some. I need to read a happy book immediately or I will die.

It's hard to write a critical review for a memoir stuffed with trauma, because how can I object to someone's personal recollections, especially of horrible things? Unfortunately, though, this one lost me at some point along the way.In The Sound of Gravel, Ruth Wariner recounts growing up in a polygamist offshoot of the mainstream Mormon church. Her family spends a lot of time in Mexico, fearing the end of the United States. Her father was a central figure in their faith, but was killed in a plot by her uncle. After his death, her mom becomes the second wife of a disgusting man named Lane. Ruth describes the precarity and violence she and her siblings endured. Lack of adequate food, housing, healthcare, education, attention. Financial insecurity (paired with either heavy reliance on public assistance or directives by church leaders urging followers to deprive themselves of needed support from the state) is a common aspect of cultish branches of white Christianity encouraging tons of kids. Not to mention the parentification, especially of older daughters.Ruth witnesses and is subjected to all sorts of abuse, and struggles to find support when she works up the courage to tell others the danger she is in. It is a book about how survivors of sexual abuse are somehow both not believed about and blamed for what happened to them. It is a book about how our society gets more up in arms about accusers ruining a man's life than the lives a man ruined with his actions.It is a book about how mothers and wives can be complicit in familial abuse, and how many are simultaneously abused and abusive in their own right. Frankly, I think Ruth goes a little easy on Kathy. Kathy's life was tragically cut short, but she sure did a lot of harm to her kids in that short time. I did have a little epiphany while reading this. If a woman believes in the principle of polygamy, as Ruth's mom did, the number one attribute she will look for in a partner is a man who wants more than one spouse. She can't take a second wife herself, let alone a second husband, so whether she herself can live out the practice hinges on this. This means a good man is not someone who is kind or attentive. A good man is not even someone who provides materially for his family, ensuring their comfort and security despite being often absent because he has other families to take care of. No, a good man is a man with more than one wife. That's it, that's what allows everyone to obtain celestial glory. Instead of seeing how polygamy itself is creating jealousy and scarcity, wives say to themselves (and their children, in Ruth's case), “It is not ever going to be bad enough for me to leave, because he is a polygamist.” Her salvation is dependent on him continuing to do the thing which makes her life complicated and difficult. The root of the issue is also what redeems him in her eyes.Kathy's convictions about polygamy lead her to stay with Lane no matter the horrors he puts her and their children through, no matter how many times he fails to support or provide for their family. It certainly does not help that educational and professional pursuits are deemed irrelevant to girls and women, who are then made to crank out as many kids as is biologically possible. That certainly does not make leaving less intimidating.It's almost like a faith where women are collected like playing cards by deadbeat, violent, adulterers creates and maintains a culture of horrible men? Could that be right? Also why in the world would Matt take a second wife??? I hate that he did that.Maybe a weird gripe, but I do feel like the Prologue was almost misleading? It's an artistic choice I get it I get it. But we spent so long on some phases of life and skipped over others by decades. Ruth also presents herself as so even-keeled and discerning no matter her age or the situation. It feels a little unrealistic and flat. Also I have a lot of thoughts about its commentary on disability and institutionalization but I am too tired to make them coherent. So I'm just documenting that sometimes I think things.If you like darker memoirs about cults, awful parents, or both (like [b:Educated 35133922 Educated Tara Westover https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1506026635l/35133922.SY75.jpg 53814228], [b:Breaking Free 34217597 Breaking Free Rachel Jeffs https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498607251l/34217597.SY75.jpg 55268473], or [b:The Glass Castle 7445 The Glass Castle Jeannette Walls https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1523542886l/7445.SY75.jpg 2944133]), you'll probably like this — hopefully more than I did!

I tried, I truly did. Woman finds magic salamander (or rather, magic salamander finds woman) is a very appealing premise, but I couldn't get more than a quarter in. Edith is kind of mean and self-centered, there was very weird fatphobia, and it reads like middle grade or YA, but with a 21-year-old protagonist. It just felt really slow and boring, especially for how short it is.

After getting a friend to read Murderbot, I decided I needed to read it again immediately. Good news, it holds up.

All Systems Red is the first installment of the Murderbot diaries, a humorous SF (mostly) novella series by Martha Wells. Its reluctant protagonist is Murderbot, a security robot contract worker made to accompany clients on different missions so they don't get themselves killed.

Despite being designed for expressly this, Murderbot is far more interested in watching TV. It's like the assassin version of an office worker who lets calls ring out while they listen to podcasts and play 2048. And perhaps in the future, after the current onslaught of terrible generative AI, this is where we'll end up: humans don't want to work, so they build robots to work for them so they can watch TV. But the robots end up not wanting to work either, so they can watch TV.

Murderbot does not dream of labor, does not like eye contact, fast forwards through sex scenes, and more than anything wants to be left alone. Wells' representation of queerness and neurodiversity (really, anyone who feels alienated or exhausted by the world) in this character is endearing and multifaceted.

Murderbot puts up a front of being detached and lazy, but it cannot help but turn it on in a crisis. It may not be great at its job, but it is great at what it does. And, it cares deeply — far more than is convenient or comfortable — about its humans and protecting innocent, kind people from coming to harm. It has tugged out the altruistic threads of its being and replaced the rest with special interests. It is me working at the public library, but if I could do a push-up.

2018 review: This was a fun and funny novella. A socially awkward nevertheless endearing genderless robot protagonist is...a lot of things. But somehow it worked! It's not a heavy read, but Wells touches on deeper themes about how empathy and autonomy relate to one's identity. I have a soft spot for not-so-human characters unfamiliar with societal expectations looking to pop culture for solace and understanding—the only other examples of this I can come up with off the cuff are Stranger Things and Lilo & Stitch. There's something so delightful about finding an entity especially capable of if not outright designed for destruction so enraptured by books and movies and music.I'd recommend All Systems Red to those in search of some light quick sci-fi fun. Spend a rainy afternoon with a cyborg more scared of prolonged eye contact than stampeding into bloodshed. Because at the end of the day (literally), sometimes more than anything, we all just want to watch our shows and be left alone.