Rosa is from New Jersey and thinks Books and Tacos should be more of a thing. Will read anything that she finds interesting but favors literary fiction. Is a firm believer that if a book isn't grabbing you after 100 pages, you should toss it...gently.
I loved loved loved this book.
A beautiful exploration of love, loss, finding one self, mental health, healing, and care.
I want to stay home and read it all over again.
This was a stellar collection! The very first story pulls you right in and I couldn't stop reading more. Every story felt like it they could be full blown novels at some point.
There is also this frantic and furious energy in many of the stories which IMO is very hard to pull off in short stories. This writer achieved something great here.
One last note: Mavis and Estelle have my whole heart <3
This is possibly the best reading experience I ever had! While the size may be intimidating, I can promise you'll want to go on this incredible journey with the 80yr old Ma. Every page felt alive. So if you have a long trip planned soon, BRING THIS BOOK WITH YOU. You'll be in the best company.
Just some of the most beautiful writing about relationships. I couldn't put this one down. Sexy, tense, and layered. If you've been eyeing this one but haven't picked it up, this is your sign to do so now.
Damani is one of the most memorable main characters I've ever had the pleasure of reading! Fast paced, funny, sharp and full of deadly lines that sink into you. For sure one of the best books I've read so far this year.
A story about sisters, connection, love, reconciling the past and facing the future. It hit every note for me.
Main character Magnolia is just trying to make ends meet while also mourning the loss of her late grandmother Mama Brown. Magnolia is soon offered a job at a funeral home by the mysterious Cotton. Peculiar things start to unfold that will have you question what's really going on at Cotton's funeral home. Gritty and grimy with intense imagery that sticks to you like mud. House of Cotton is one of the most original southern gothic tales I've read.
This book will make you re-examine the wellness culture we see today while also helping you rethink how you care for yourself and others. Smart and eye opening.
A dark coming of age story that doesn't feel forced in any way. Honest, raw and real.
One of the best novels I read this year. A beautiful story about trauma, family expectations, love and found family. Story unfolds in a way where every character feels real. Makes you want to call your friends, grab a drink and catch up. Loved Loved Loved!!!
Who knew art forgery was so dark and dangerous??! A fun ride that you never want to end. Perfect beach read IMO!
Think Oceans 11 meets The Fast and the Furious. Super fun heist novel with a stacked cast of characters. There is a really good twist too!
This book is going to sit with me for a while. I could not put this book down. Touches on some tough topics but its done incredibly well. Will definately be on my top 10 of the year.
Its only March but this may just be the best book I've read in 2022! A beautiful novel about coming home, confronting the past, and embracing the future. This book put me in ALL MY FEELS and I havent been the same since.
A campus novel like no other! A sharply written satire novel with a protagonist that makes many mistakes but ultimately triumphs in the end. A new favorite read of 2022!
This is some of the most original storytelling I've read in awhile. Also check out her poetry collection NEGOTIATIONS as well! Won't disappoint!
I don't normally read historical fiction but this cover is gorgeous and I love O'Neill's writing so I had to give this a try. So glad I did because I loved every minute of it. A queer AF story of friendship class, and feminism during the 19th century.
An unfiltered account of addiction that does not glamorize the disease of addiction. Some of the best writing I've read in a long time.
This is a novel in verse that tells the story of a young woman who decides to being back the singer Selena from the dead. But it's so much more than that. It's about loneliness, feminism, the culture behind fandom and queer/latinidad identity. TOP TEN BOOK 2021 OF FOR ME!
One of the best books I've read about what it means to be a mother and an artist. I still think about this book and the emotional ride it took me on. I found so man answers in these pages. Simply put, I ADORE this book.
This is one of the best books I've read in a while. Cordova's writing is straight epic and took me on a journey that I wont forget. If you need some magic in your life right now, pick this up now!
These stories are a beautiful and haunting peak into life in New Orleans. These are mostly character driven stories with some exceptional flash fiction pieces. So many of these characters have stuck with me. A must read if you love short stories.
This is possibly the most wild book I've read. You got role playing, an odd love triangle, surfing and a literal monster at the end of this book!
A stunning exploration of loss and grief. 100% on my top books of 2021!
Brandon Taylor is fast becoming one of my favorite writers. I will read anything he puts out. This collection on interconnecting stories will stay with you for a long time. A true gem in the literary world.
I stan HARD! This may be the best collection I've read in years. Pick this up ASAP!!
I am a huge fan of this author. Everything they write stops me in my tracks. The essays here will expand your thoughts on feminism and the media we've been consuming since childhood.
A story of lust, love, obsession, pain and ultimately self-discovery. Brutally honest and beautifully written. Could not put down.
I loved everything about this collection. There were so many lines I re-read over and over again in hopes I will remember them forever.
Almost every story in this collection was fantastic! All your faves are in this collection and I promise you, you will find something within that will resonate with you.
Kudos to the two editors who put this collection together! Could not put it down.
Forget all your other faves. Ariana Brown is the real deal! Her poems will cut you up and heal you all at the same time. Reading this was one of the most personal reading experiences I've had in a long time.
The title will hopefully make you pick this up but I promise this collection is so satisfying, especially the very last short story in this book. Wild!
Once a year a book comes out that truly makes bookselling easy. This is that book. A beautifully written interconnecting family drama that checks all the boxes.
Ever wonder what happens when a bunch of renowned international writers gather for a weekend? No ego is left un-bruised in this novel. But I promise it's much more than the drama that unfolds between the writers. Mona is a character that will stay with you for a long time.
What does it mean to be a true ally?
What are you willing to give up so EVERYONE is free?
These are the kind of questions this book will ask of you. Could not put down. Highly recommended!
This is one of the best YA fantasy novels I ever read! It's got political intrigue, magic, romance and Bolivian folklore which makes this novel stand out from others. Fast paced and gorgeously written. Look out for the sequel too!!
This uniquely written novel tells the story of the author's journey to write a novel that is due to her publisher. It takes place in a 2yr span leading up to the 2016 election and birth of her child. It's honest, raw and made me miss NYC terribly.
Nate Marshall gives so much of himself in these poems. Every line I read, I found myself taking a deep breath before continuing on to the next. So good!!
One of the best books I read in 2020. This is a beautifully written novel about self-discovery, grief and loss. How in spite of trauma, there is always hope. But more importantly, it's about community, and the strength one can find within it.
This book meets LOVECRAFT COUNTRY meets BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. You can read this in one sitting but fair warning, you will want more.
A dystopian YA novel that tackles immigration and what it means to seek refuge in a country that does not want you. Very original storytelling that left my heart racing till the very end.
If you enjoyed the novel American Dirt, then I DARE YOU to pick this up.
This explores the real lives of undocumented Americans and what they have contributed to this country. You may find yourself surprised to find what they have done for all of us.
Much like what Anthony Bourdain did with his memoirs, David Chang brings his whole self here. If you've watched his show or listened to his podcast, then you know you're going to read something special. His passages about his struggles with mental illness are some of the most honest and raw passages I've read in some time. I have a lot of respect for him and we need more voices like his in the restaurant industry.
If you loved the show FLEABAG, then this book is for you. Funny as hell with some heartbreaking moments. One of the more real mother/daughter relationships I've read in awhile. Perfect book to read to help you get out of a reading slump.
Reading these biographical essays made me feel seen. It's been awhile since a book did that for me and I will cherish this book for a very long time. Every chapter you're met with prose that hits you straight in the gut and heart. I knew nothing about the author and went into this book blind. I suggest you do the same.
Think Shirley Jackson meets the film GET OUT. If you like gothic novels, this one's for you. Scary and intense but wholly original. Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one of my favorite new writers.
One of the best queer stories I've read in a long time. A young Colombian girl is uprooted from her home and moves to Miami with her family. Her mom becomes a member of a local Evangelical church and pushes her reluctant daughter to join her. Things begin to really unfold when our main character begins to fall for the pastor's daughter. I can't recommend this novel enough!
Need a fun read to get your mind off things?
Pick this up now. It's a fantastic retelling of Anna Karenina. Think Gossip Girl meets Crazy Rich Asians. Perfect for summer!
This book will be making my best of 2020 list for sure. If you read the novel American Dirt and enjoyed it, then I dare you to pick this up. This explores the real lives of undocumented Americans and what they have contributed to this country. You may find yourself surprised to find what they have done for all of us.
You are taken to the Jim Crow south and to the upper class suburbs of California in this generational novel. Topics like race, class, colorism and sexual identity are written about in such a tender and honest way. This is a novel every book club should read and discuss.
This memoir is about the author's inappropriate relationship with a teacher she first meets in middle school and the years following it. The prose hits like a razor to the skin, cutting deeper and deeper as you read. I was blown away by how honest and raw the author is throughout the book. These are the kind of writers I want to fill my shelves with. Do yourself a favor and read it and then pass it along.
memoir, teachers, teaching, abuse, sexual relationships, age differences
I don't get to do as much walking as I would like, but when I do, I feel great. Walking feels like a revolutionary art these days. This short but wtunning book invokd so many feelings for me. I wish this was 300 pages long because I would read it.
For every young creative who is just trying to find their place in the world. Reading this feels like you’re reading the diary of your best friend.
Who is Juliet? She's any of us who ever felt like they were losing their minds. She's the friend you have that's beautiful and brilliant but can scare you sometimes. She's honest, she's real. She's you and she's me. For those who suffer from mental illness, this book will make you feel less alone. Read this book!
If you watched the TV show, The Crown, then you know Princess Margaret was the much more compelling one! This book really gives you 99 glimpses of Princess Margaret that makes you love and hate her at the same time. Everyone in the book has an opinion of her, but did anyone really know her???
Writing a review for this book is gonna be hard but I'm going to try. This may be the I best book I've read this year. So many raw and stunning sentences just waiting for you to fall in love with. Told through letters from a son to a mother, I underlined the hell out of my copy. It broke my heart but it also put it back together. Read this and join the Ocean Vuong fan club with me.
literary fiction, Asian-Americans, lgbtq, parents and children, epistolary fiction
I first discovered Sally Rooney after reading her first book, Conversations With Friends, which I loved! So, of course, I rushed to read her second book, Normal People. On the surface, this sounds like another popular boy befriends awkward girl but this novel unfolds beautifully as you read. With a strong political undertone and exploration of social and economic status, Sally Rooney brings to light many issues worth discussing. But at the heart of the novel, Normal People is an exploration of those friendships we form when we're young that shape us and often times sets the tone of who and what we gravitate towards later in life. Nostalgia will loom over you while you read Normal People.
