Renata Sancken

This type of historical fiction isn't something I'm usually drawn to, but the combo of Newbery honor + having LOOOVED Nayeri's previous book [b:Everything Sad Is Untrue 45916267 Everything Sad Is Untrue Daniel Nayeri https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1579708868l/45916267.SY75.jpg 70768669] made me pick this up. And honestly it was a lil slow going for me to get into it but damn he got me in the end.I think this would be soo good for a classroom readaloud, like a chapter a day. Kids would be clamoringggggg

OK wow when I read a Nora book from 1997 and think about her more recent stuff...



whew

https://www.frowl.org/worstbestsellers/episode-235-sanctuary/

hey pretty much everyone in Maddie's life...come here, I just want to talk (ง •̀_•́)ง

I loved Maddie's voice and going through her frustrating & empowering journey with her!!

I did think everything maybe wrapped up a little toooooo neatly in the end but you know what? I wanted that for her. She deserved it!!!

I'm not a Muslim nor am I queer but I thought this book was really lovely and engaging. I would not have expected to appreciate these (t0 me?) somewhat deep dives into specific verse of the Quran but Lamya writes so passionately about them that, well, I did.

omg...Murderbot learned to harness the power of its shows

DNF - I was excited about the concept of this but it was a struggle to get through the first chapter. Which I think is more about my current reading mood/vibe–it's more academic than I expected and I'm in the middle of a Silly Girl Summer, don't have the focus for this, so I'm returning it to the library from whence it came. I might try again later though.

Dracula, as many have recently discovered, is a weird and fun book! This edition is extra weird and fun. I wish it had even more margin jokes/art but what it did have was great.

wow wow wow. Really hard-hitting but also funny. Such a journey through his life as an artist but also a capsule of American history.

My only complaint is that the font (handwriting?) is hard to read.

I picked this up off the new books shelf at the library bc I was like “yeah! great cover! great title!” but I think this is more aimed at an academic audience and semi-specifically a British academic audience? Like despite the way that it's formatted into “killjoy truths” and little Buzzfeed like segments there's like a lot of Judith Butler quotes and discussions of phenomenology that left me dazed and confused. Like I'm a well-educated person but also I intentionally did not choose to pursue a career in academia. For me I would have preferred to just read like a zine or Buzzfeed summary of this. But still some very important ideas and validating phrases in here for sure.

I really enjoyed [b:Blood Debts 60784432 Blood Debts (Blood Debts, #1) Terry J. Benton-Walker https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1660390164l/60784432.SY75.jpg 87729676] so I was stoked for the sequel but honestly I think this one maybe needed to like, put one or two characters/plots back on the shelf. Like I still love Clem and Cris as characters and I think the magical worldbuilding is so cool but this was just...a lil too much for me tbh

Overall this was very sweet and I think the premise of Darcy being queer but feeling forced to marry a woman is a great explanation for his overall ~deal~. I did catch myself being like “wow Mr. Bennet is remarkably accepting of trans identity for a Regency era man....” but then I remembered an interview I'd read with, I think Alexis Hall? someone who said something like “all we want for queer historical romance is the same suspension of disbelief for straight historical romance, like it's very unlikely that a governess would blissfully wed a duke so why can't we embrace the duke being queer and happy?” and you know what? Yeah!

I think probably for the presumed target audience of younger queer readers they will be more likely to just accept and enjoy the story. which they deserve!!

I (like many, I imagine) was a lil surprised when this won the Printz this year but you know what? I should have trusted AS King. This is a banger anthology. I think my fav was Cory McCarthy's “Misery Museum.” And I also loved King's introduction about why she's fascinated by collectors/collections and what kind of power they have

ok so yeah I saw the movie and then was like “oh I should finally read the book” and then I read the book. Here we are. Obviously having seen the movie already I had my eye on what may have been changed or left out, and like. I get that for the movie it's a better arc if it's Hale's conspiracy but I was most intrigued by the last section where Grann is like "yeah Hale was behind a lot of these but also other white people were out here doing their own independent murders of Osage people". Like. The scope of it!! Augh!

A very compelling piece of history.

I'm late to the bandwagon but yeah everyone was right about this one

I think this is a great read for teens wondering about their college experience. It's also great to have this #OwnVoices depiction of disability–I think it will make some wheelchair-using readers feel represented and will be illuminating to some abled readers. It is so detailed in its depiction of the ableist barriers Effie faces that it ends up feeling somewhat didactic in places, but, you know, it's good information to learn.

Also a side character's dream college was randomly Grinnell College and I was like “oh this author must have gone to Grinnell otherwise there's no reason why this would be in here” and, I was correct. (Class of 2013.) Grinnell recognize Grinnell.

I think this could be a great read for a classroom setting or for a parents' group to read. It is eye opening and an interesting story. I think that the large number of people involved made this a little hard to follow at times although I appreciate having so many perspectives included.

ooh this was so cute and spooky and funny and sad! A real soup of emotions. Or perhaps...a dumpling. Great for readers looking for a not TOO scary story and/or folklore based story. Also cute art!!

OK so overall I've been slamming this series in a short period of time and reading this right after [b:Network Effect 52381770 Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries, #5) Martha Wells https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1640597293l/52381770.SY75.jpg 63614271] was a lil disappointing at first just like, but I thought we were going on adventures with ART now!!!! but then actually this was very interesting and fun (despite the horrors of capitalism). What a good Murderbot!!

This took me a little while to get into–maybe because I'd gotten used to the all killer-no filler novellas and when I was faced with a full-length book I was like, oh I'm full? I think it had a bit more of the military/action stuff that I don't love (like Murderbot I find it boring) BUT I loved having more space (ha) to see Murderbot's relationships (sorry Murderbot) in action especially with ART!!! Fuck yeah

Murderrrrbotttttttttt

simply iconic

Extremely Maria Bamford. I was really tickled by her use of the “for Dummies” books symbols throughout. And moved (but I guess not surprised, given her standup) by the frankness with which she discussed her OCD and other illness.

LOT of very cool ideas here, mired in some kind of clunky execution. A good pick for teen Shakespeare buffs.

I think it is so great that there are more fictional depictions of the asexuality spectrum! I think this book functions sort of more as an intro to asexuality than as a like, book to read, but I think it's going to be an important read for some kids!

Thrilled to return to Carrigan's! Needed more Kringle tho