Hana Gabrielle Bidon

If you want to read a memorable memoir, I definitely recommend reading Tova's memoir about being one of the youngest survivors of Auschwitz's concentration camps and taking refugee in the United States. I will never forget the deplorable reality of the Nazis eradicating those they deemed inferior to the Aryan master race, such as Jews, Roma, LGBTQ+ people, children, and disabled people. Tova, thanks for sharing your story for many years to come.

Rating: 3.75 stars

The third book in the series is a step up from the second one because there is better pacing and character development.

I'm glad that the author, Baek Se-hee, got the proper treatment for her persistent depression and I thoroughly enjoyed reading her memoir about recovering from her mental illness with her psychiatrist. I'm glad she had a positive experience getting mental health treatment in the span of 12 weeks, and now I want to eat tteokbokki for dinner.

Rating: 3.5 stars

I love how whimsical Murata's short stories are and it reminds me of one of her earlier novels, Earthlings. Some of the short stories were forgettable but some stuck out to me. Overall the pacing was well done and the variety of topics presented in these stories were decent.

I chose this book because of the hashtag, #FollowMe for Murder and was initially interested in the cover art too. I liked how the cozy mystery featured a social media influencer and it's refreshing that not all mysteries are dark and tense like this one. However, the character development fell flat for me but the plot twist somewhat kept me engaged till the end.

I wasn't the biggest fan of the tone of this book. It felt patronizing even as a cisgender queer woman who is learning more about nonbinary people. They deserve better representation and should be looked at as people. Quite frankly, I would've learned more about nonbinary people through a YouTube video or two plus meet other nonbinary people.

Rating: 3.25 stars

This book is a good start for those who aren't as familiar with the dangers and benefits of technology for teenagers. I've read a decent amount of books in this realm, so the ideas presented here aren't revolutionary or game-changing to me.

I appreciated that the author, Sophie Penhaligon, depicted a disabled woman, specifically someone with a brain injury, in an authentic manner. What I mean by that is that the author talked about how Seraphina struggled with verbally communicating and her social anxiety after her brain injury but didn't turn the book into inspiration porn and imply that disabled people are only good for romance when the partner pities them for their disability instead of seeing them as a person with a personality, wants, needs, and desires.

The romance was somewhat predictable, but I appreciated seeing the two perspectives from Seraphina and Milo. I loved the office romance and hope to hear more from the author whether it's another romance novel or a book in another genre.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy of this book. I didn't finish it because the characters were boring and one-dimensional, and the plot seemed too predictable for me.

As a bisexual woman of color who has recovered from eight years of disordered eating and eating disorders, I'm glad you wrote this book. Looking back at when I struggled with my body image, I had this warped idea of what I should look like. Though I'm more attuned to Body Neutrality these days, your interpretation of Body Positivity is what the movement should strive to be and I'm still unlearning fatophobia. I didn't know that one of the sources of my eating disorders were from not accepting my queer identities till my early twenties. You also reinforced the idea that I should keep my social media friendly, which I did this year, and maintain my worth not just on my body, but my character too.

I liked how the journalist incorporated a lot of psychology into the book because technology is affecting how our minds work and operate in the modern age. The premise was decent and brought up some key points that weren't mentioned in books like Race After Technology and Data Feminism; however, the organization and writing of this book could use a lot more improvement.

I anticipated giving a high rating for this book but the story fell flat to me. It was okay for the most part but I wish the characters were better developed. I appreciate the queer representation but I wish the plot was also more exciting.

What a beautifully written memoir. Jennette is an amazing writer and it clearly shows in how honest and raw her memoir is. It goes into explicit detail about the sexual abuse and controlling nature of her mother. It is difficult for Jennette to let go of her mother as she grows up as she developed eating disorders and repeated the dysfunctional mother dynamic in her relationships. I'm glad she written this memoir to also show the corruption of the entertainment industry and working as a child actor.

I am rating this book 3.5 stars because I liked the premise of the book and enjoyed her writing in this book, especially when she talked about how shame can affect online networks. I wish that her execution was better.

I thought the premise of the novel was extremely interesting and picked it up because of the title and cover image. I normally like magical realism but this wasn't the most memorable story that I haven't read in a while. It is good but it is not one of the best ones out there.

One of the best non-fiction books that I read recently. Max Fisher did an excellent job of stating how social media has affected global affairs and social movements as a whole.

This book tore my heart apart like A Little Life and I'm glad that NetGalley introduced me to another author, Douglas Stuart, who writes with such mastery and effortlessness. I'm heartbroken about what happened to Mungo but at least I got the chance to see the characters come alive. My only regret is that I didn't read this book much sooner.

Rating: 3.5 stars

I felt the book progressively got better as time as passed. The school that was previously closed due to mysterious deaths is now open up again, and then a string of mysterious deaths occur again at that same school. Honestly, I didn't have any expectations for the book, but it was worth a read. The character development could use some improvement and the beginning of the book could've been better executed.

My professor recommended me this book and I'm so glad that I got my hands on it because it's truly one of the best books about job-hunting. It lays out the job-hunting process and gives me hope as I'm going through it myself. Thank you so much, Charlie Trautmann, for recommending me this book. I can't wait to have my own copy of it so I can do the flower exercises by myself.

I loved the build up to the twist at the end of the story and wasn't disappointed. I want to hear more from the author.

I love how her cookbook shows how her life evolved as a chef and it's excellent how the recipes were integrated with her memoir. While it is a tad but long as a cookbook, I think this is an innovative way to write a memoir.

I couldn't even finish the first chapter of this book because I was that bored with this book. The characters lack depth and substance from what I heard so I'm not reading this book any further.

Rating: 3.5 stars

I loved Johann Hari's execution of the book and admire how he managed to live off the grid in the United States for three months. Depending on the level of privilege that someone has, they can try it as an experiment. I don't think that I would last more than two weeks without Internet so kudos to him. However, I wish that Hari would dispel the misinformation on ADHD instead of spreading it and go more extensively on the role of childhood trauma and lack of attention span. Also, ADHD is more than just hyperactivity; I wish there was more information about ADHD in terms of executive functioning, emotional regulation, and attention span.

I appreciated the different views that is not normally seen in a courtroom, such as a black woman helping out in a deportation arrest and a domestic violence survivor who is after to be judged. This moving memoir made me realize how unconscious bias shows up in the courtroom from how a prosecutor dresses to their speech patterns and body language. This memoir made me realize that it is much harder to make fair judgements on deciding whether someone is guilty of a crime or not. People could be telling the truth or lying through their teeth. I'm glad that NetGalley introduced me to this book and I would be happy to read it again in the following years.

I'm glad that I won an advanced copy of One Italian Summer on a Goodreads giveaway. I don't regret reading it before the book got officially published and I thought it was a whimsical and lighthearted read with a romance with the main characters. Having the setting in Italy takes me back to when I went to Rome in the summer of 2018. Thank you for the well-spent time on this book.