Renata Sancken

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.

Murderrrrbotttttttttt

Roxane Gay is great! Because I think she's great I had already read some of these when they were first posted in their various online homes but still fun and thought-provoking to read collected like this.

This is such a cool book! Definitely the kind of book to pore over and read in small bursts or revisit when you have certain meals.

oh wowwwwwwww

what a slay. also I really am a sucker for books that explicitly use other media for characters (or in this case for the author themself) to process things. representation mattersssss

This is the second book by this author that I've been really intrigued by the premise (also [b:Hell Followed With Us 57911600 Hell Followed With Us Andrew Joseph White https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1630498579l/57911600.SY75.jpg 90726926]) but the execution has been...well really not for me. And part of that I think is that White is really writing for a trans audience and I hope that readers who feel represented by these books will read them and get what they need from them. But also in both cases it feels like the worldbuilding is really...cursory? Like here I just really wanted to know more about this magical apprenticeship/arranged marriage situation because in some cases it seemed like there were very clear rules about it but then also kind of like, it just existed to set up the scenario? Which I guess is kind of always the point of fiction. IDK IDK I just didn't care for this. Again other readers may find what they need here, especially ones looking for trans romance and also maybe a kind of historical Handmaid's Tale kind of vibe...idk there are definitely vibes here that will appeal to some readers. Just like, not me!!

oh shit. oh my god.

oh man at first I was rl into this–it's giving Argentinean The Mummy–but the second half just dragged for me. still some very cool stuff and I think young readers with a fervor for ancient Egypt might get more into it.

guaoooo this is so funny and heartwarming. And I love how detailed the artwork is. It rewards close attention with extra giggles.

ART <3

SO gorgeous SO compelling!! love it when a story is divided between character POVs/timelines and all of them are just as intriguing!! really rooting for these kids (age-neutral) to work out their intergenerational trauma!!

Wow gosh this book is so moving and lovely and funny. Loved it.

PS I saw a review that docked this book for the fatphobia and I just...did they mean the dog? As a fat person myself I think it is OK to lovingly observe that a dog is fat. that's just like, my opinion, man.

I was a little unsure about the premise but these authors pulled it off. The found poems really work and I appreciated the added pieces of context. Would be great in a classroom setting or also for independent reading for an interested young (or old!) reader.

fun as heck, will be great for today's genre-savvy young fantasy readers

I liked this a lot! As a portrayal of anxiety/trauma in a middle schooler I thought it was good and then I also liked the ghostly mystery.

honestly I don't think this book is as wack as it has become to be understood (aside from the written out-dialect for the characters of color, yikesy)

https://www.frowl.org/worstbestsellers/episode-231-the-time-travelers-wife/

this is an important topic and it makes a really compelling argument for why indigenous mascots are harmful. it's pretty didactic by design and I think it would be best used in a classroom setting.

also like I'm not a huge poetry expert but sometimes I read novels in verse and I'm like “yes gorgeous concise compelling” and sometimes I'm like “feels like you just used a lot of extra line breaks here” and this was more of the latter.

ok National Book Award, good pick!!

I was such a Secret Garden girlie growing up and I'm now a sucker for a retelling, and this is a great one. Also works as a piece of contemporary fiction for readers who aren't familiar with the original but can relate to feeling out of place.

This had some humor to it but ultimately wasn't really my cup of tea. By nature retellings of classics are going to be sort of predictable so the job is to make the new twists interesting enough or to make the characters compelling enough that you are happy to be along for the ride even when you know the final destination. And IMO this didn't quite hit the mark. May appeal more to younger readers especially ones hungry for queer romance.

really lovely novel in verse with a twist on the classic twin switcheroo. I appreciated the hints at the family history of mental health issues and I think this book has a lot of appeal factors for tweens–twins, music, camp, anxiety. and the verse is lovely.

ohhh Noah <3 it's giving trans Bridge to Terabithia but with Mothman

people been telling me to read this book for years and I was like yeah I'll get around to it and then I got around to it and you know what, you all were right. Love this funky lil murderbot. They just want to watch their shows!!!!

This is a fascinating topic and well-researched but oddly dry for a history that has so many colorful characters in it.

I still love this series and the concept for it, and I was relieved to get a followup on Antsy's life, but I wished I had brushed up a little bit on all the previous books before reading this one since it involves a lot of Lore from previous books. Still: a good read and a thoughtful depiction of breaking the cycle of generational violence (with bonus talking animals).