It’s time for my first half of January book review! I am sharing what I read in January so far, although I am skipping a few 5 star reads to share later in the month. The Amazon links to the books I’ve read are affiliate links and if you use them and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. If you’ve read any of these books or are interested in them, I’d love to hear about it in the comments! I also read Game On, which I reviewed separately here, and another book for a book tour which will be up on Monday.
Title: Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and The Meaning of Sex
Author: Angela Chen
Genre: Non-Fiction
Publisher: Beacon Press, 9/15/20
Source: Library Audio App
Why I Read It: Interested in the topic
My Rating: 4 Stars
Ace was an interesting discussion of asexuality and the sexualization of society.
“What exactly is sexual attraction and what is it like to go through life not experiencing it? What does asexuality reveal about gender roles, about romance and consent, and the pressures of society? This accessible examination of asexuality shows that the issues that aces face—confusion around sexual activity, the intersection of sexuality and identity, navigating different needs in relationships—are the same conflicts that nearly all of us will experience. Through a blend of reporting, cultural criticism, and memoir, Ace addresses the misconceptions around the ‘A’ of LGBTQIA and invites everyone to rethink pleasure and intimacy. Journalist Angela Chen creates her path to understanding her own asexuality with the perspectives of a diverse group of asexual people. Vulnerable and honest, these stories include a woman who had blood tests done because she was convinced that ‘not wanting sex’ was a sign of serious illness, and a man who grew up in a religious household and did everything ‘right,’ only to realize after marriage that his experience of sexuality had never been the same as that of others. Disabled aces, aces of color, gender-nonconforming aces, and aces who both do and don’t want romantic relationships all share their experiences navigating a society in which a lack of sexual attraction is considered abnormal. Chen’s careful cultural analysis explores how societal norms limit understanding of sex and relationships and celebrates the breadth of sexuality and queerness.”
While this was partially a memoir, it was also interesting and informative, covering such issues as religion, repression, intersectionality, ableism, and consent.
Title: The Heart’s Invisible Furies
Author: John Boyne
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publisher: Hogarth Press, 8/22/17
Source: Book of the Month
Why I Read It: Everyone loves it.
My Rating: 4 Stars
I had put off reading this book because it is quite long, and because it is extremely hyped – almost everyone says it is one of their favorite books of all time. Of course, I had to be different. I liked it, but it wasn’t a favorite. But I didn’t hate it! It was good, it held my interest, and even though it’s way too long, it didn’t take me forever to read.
“Cyril Avery is not a real Avery — or at least, that’s what his adoptive parents tell him. And he never will be. But if he isn’t a real Avery, then who is he? Born out of wedlock to a teenage girl cast out from her rural Irish community and adopted by a well-to-do if eccentric Dublin couple via the intervention of a hunchbacked Redemptorist nun, Cyril is adrift in the world, anchored only tenuously by his heartfelt friendship with the infinitely more glamourous and dangerous Julian Woodbead. At the mercy of fortune and coincidence, he will spend a lifetime coming to know himself and where he came from – and over his many years, will struggle to discover an identity, a home, a country, and much more.”
The book covers the life story of Cyril, a gay man living in Ireland, from his birth to an unwed mother, to his adoption by a less than loving family, to his friendship with and unrequited crush on another boy, to his years wishing he wasn’t gay, to love and loss and more. If you like character driven books, this one may be for you. It also contains a lot of violence. When a book is so long, extraneous details need to be fact checked as well, so an inaccuracy regarding the US Holocaust Museum annoyed me. There are coincidences, funny parts, sad parts, and more. It also takes place in Amsterdam and NYC and during the AIDS crisis.
Title: No Land To Light On
Author: Yara Zgheib
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publisher: Atria, 1/4/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4.5 Stars (rounded down to 4)
Even though I don’t normally like very literary style fiction, I apparently went on a deep dive into it this month! While this can be called “literary” for sure, I didn’t find it hard to read or understand, so that’s a plus for me.
“Hadi and Sama are a young Syrian couple flying high on a whirlwind love, dreaming up a life in the country that brought them together. She had come to Boston years before chasing dreams of a bigger life; he’d landed there as a sponsored refugee from a bloody civil war. Now, they are giddily awaiting the birth of their son, a boy whose native language would be freedom and belonging. When Sama is five months pregnant, Hadi’s father dies suddenly in Jordan, the night before his visa appointment at the embassy. Hadi flies back for the funeral, promising his wife that he’ll only be gone for a few days. On the day his flight is due to arrive in Boston, Sama is waiting for him at the airport, eager to bring him back home. But as the minutes and then hours pass, she continues to wait, unaware that Hadi has been stopped at the border and detained for questioning, trapped in a timeless, nightmarish limbo. Worlds apart, suspended between hope and disillusion as hours become days become weeks, Sama and Hadi yearn for a way back to each other, and to the life they’d dreamed up together. But does that life exist anymore, or was it only an illusion?”
I remember how upset I was when the travel ban was put into effect and this book provides a look on the kind of personal impact the law had. In the story, Hadi traveled to Jordan for his father’s funeral and when he returned home to Boston and his pregnant wife, his visa was revoked. Sama then goes into premature labor and is left alone to give birth and care for herself and a NICU baby. There is also symbolism in the book regarding the sky and connecting with migratory birds. This quote stood out as an example of the moving language used in the book: “For one enormous moment, she saw it: the sky on the first day of the world, when it was borderless. When there were no walls, bars, or fences, no lines between land, air, sea. When it was all still endlessly crystalline, endlessly blue, endless.” This would make a perfect book group pick.
Title: As Good As Dead
Author: Holly Jackson
Genre: YA Thriller
Publisher: Delacorte, 9/28/21
Source: Publisher / Book Swap
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review / Loved the previous 2
My Rating: 4 Stars
As Good As Dead is the conclusion of the Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series but I really think another book is necessary! This one was dark and a bit of a change from the previous books. And I can’t explain that without spoilers!
“Pip is about to head to college, but she is still haunted by the way her last investigation ended. She’s used to online death threats in the wake of her viral true-crime podcast, but she can’t help noticing an anonymous person who keeps asking her: Who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears? Soon the threats escalate and Pip realizes that someone is following her in real life. When she starts to find connections between her stalker and a local serial killer caught six years ago, she wonders if maybe the wrong man is behind bars. Police refuse to act, so Pip has only one choice: find the suspect herself—or be the next victim. As the deadly game plays out, Pip discovers that everything in her small town is coming full circle . . .and if she doesn’t find the answers, this time she will be the one who disappears. . .”
I will say it that this book contains PTSD, drug use, stalking, serial killers, kidnapping, murder, violence, animal death, etc. Pip is still reckless and Ravi is still loyal. I kind of wish I stopped with book 2!
Title: Long Way Down
Author: Jason Reynolds
Genre: YA Book in Verse / Graphic Novel
Publisher: Atheneum / Caitlyn Dlony Books, 10/24/17
Source: Book Swap
Why I Read It: Shelf Pick
My Rating: 4 Stars
Gabbie is in the Project Lit club at her school and when she brought home the graphic novel of Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, I decided it was time for me to read it too. I have the book in verse version and I read them together to compare them. The graphic novel has less words, but most of the story is the same.
“A cannon. A strap.
A piece. A biscuit.
A burner. A heater.
A chopper. A gat.
A hammer
A tool
for RULE
Or, you can call it a gun. That’s what fifteen-year-old Will has shoved in the back waistband of his jeans. See, his brother Shawn was just murdered. And Will knows the rules. No crying. No snitching. Revenge. That’s where Will’s now heading, with that gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, the gun that was his brother’s gun. He gets on the elevator, seventh floor, stoked. He knows who he’s after. Or does he? As the elevator stops on the sixth floor, on comes Buck. Buck, Will finds out, is who gave Shawn the gun before Will took the gun. Buck tells Will to check that the gun is even loaded. And that’s when Will sees that one bullet is missing. And the only one who could have fired Shawn’s gun was Shawn. Huh. Will didn’t know that Shawn had ever actually USED his gun. Bigger huh. BUCK IS DEAD. But Buck’s in the elevator? Just as Will’s trying to think this through, the door to the next floor opens. A teenage girl gets on, waves away the smoke from Dead Buck’s cigarette. Will doesn’t know her, but she knew him. Knew. When they were eight. And stray bullets had cut through the playground, and Will had tried to cover her, but she was hit anyway, and so what she wants to know, on that fifth floor elevator stop, is, what if Will, Will with the gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, MISSES. And so it goes, the whole long way down, as the elevator stops on each floor, and at each stop someone connected to his brother gets on to give Will a piece to a bigger story than the one he thinks he knows. A story that might never know an END…if Will gets off that elevator.”
When Will’s brother is shot, Will takes his brother’s gun and sets out for revenge. As he heads down on the elevator, on each floor he meets someone else who makes him question what he’s doing. The story addresses the cycle of violence and makes Will question if he is doing the right thing. It is definitely a powerful read!
Title: The Falling Girls
Author: Hayley Krischer
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Listening Library, 10/5/21
Source: Library Audio / Publisher via Net Galley
Why I Read It: Working on Net Galley reads
My Rating: 4 Stars
I read Hayley Krischer’s previous book and found it moving and meaningful. This one was different, although they both deal with female friendships and look at the darker sides of high school.
“Shade and Jadis are everything to each other. They share clothes, toothbrushes, and even matching stick-and-poke tattoos. So when Shade unexpectedly joins the cheerleading team, Jadis can hardly recognize who her best friend is becoming. Shade loves the idea of falling into a group of girls; she loves the discipline it takes to push her body to the limits alongside these athletes. Most of all, Shade finds herself drawn to The Three Chloes—the insufferable trio that rules the squad—including the enigmatic cheer captain whose dark side is as compelling as it is alarming. Jadis won’t give Shade up so easily, though, and the pull between her old best friend and her new teammates takes a toll on Shade as she tries to forge her own path. So when one of the cheerleaders dies under mysterious circumstances, Shade is determined to get to the bottom of her death. Because she knows Jadis—and if her friend is responsible, doesn’t that mean she is, too?”
This book was based on a real life case of a high school girl killing her friend. While you know that someone dies, you don’t know who was responsible, although I didn’t find it all that surprising when it was revealed. This book contains vaping, drug use, and self-administered tattoos.
Title: Must Love Books
Author: Shauna Robinson
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Sourcebooks, 1/18/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 3.5 Stars (rounded up to 4)
Must Love Books drew me in with the title! While there is a relationship in this book, it’s not a romance and focuses around Nora, an editorial assistant, working to find her dream job.
“When Nora landed an editorial assistant position at Parsons Press, it was her first step towards The Dream Job. Because, honestly, is there anything dreamier than making books for a living? But after five years of lunch orders, finicky authors, and per my last emails, Nora has come to one grand conclusion: Dream Jobs do not exist. With her life spiraling and the Parsons staff sinking, Nora gets hit with even worse news. Parsons is cutting her already unlivable salary. Unable to afford her rent and without even the novels she once loved as a comfort, Nora decides to moonlight for a rival publisher to make ends meet…and maybe poach some Parsons’ authors along the way. But when Andrew Santos, a bestselling Parsons author no one can afford to lose is thrown into the mix, Nora has to decide where her loyalties lie. Her new Dream Job, ever-optimistic Andrew, or…herself and her future.”
Nora finds that on a scale of 1-10, her happiness level is a 3. She often thinks about suicide. This is a serious issue that should not be overlooked. I liked how Andrew helped her think of what would make her happier, but I do think she needed help from a professional. This book looks at the difficulties of being a young, biracial woman in the publishing field.
Title: Noelle: The Mean Girl
Author: Ashley Woodfolk
Genre: YA
Publisher: Listening Library, 3/9/21
Source: Library Audio / Publisher via Net Galley
Why I Read It: Working on Net Galley Reads
My Rating: 3.5 Stars (rounded down to 3)
This is book 3 in the Flyy Girls Series. I listened to the first two last year and decided to continue with this one, though I think I won’t continue any further. This series is meant for lower level readers who are old enough for mature level books.
“There are only three things that matter to Noelle Lee: her family, school, and the cello. She doesn’t care if people see her as selfish or mean because she knows she has her priorities in order. That’s why when her dad loses his job, Noelle doesn’t hesitate to work more hours at her grandparents’ restaurant. Seeing her girls and dealing with her ex-boyfriend have to take a backseat so she can help her family and prepare for her school’s fall showcase. But things get more complicated when Noelle realizes she can’t stop thinking about Tobyn, one of the other Flyy Girls. With her bad attitude getting even worse, Noelle starts to wonder if working hard even matters, especially if she can’t keep her life from falling apart around her.”
This story covers a lot in a short book, but there is not much more to say other than what is in the summary! It was a very quick listen.
Title: Wahala
Author: Nikki May
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Custom House, 1/11/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
Wahala features a group of three friends who are infiltrated by a fourth that causes trouble for each of them. The connections between Isobel and the other women are revealed bit by bit.
“Ronke wants happily ever after and 2.2. kids. She’s dating Kayode and wants him to be “the one” (perfect, like her dead father). Her friends think he’s just another in a long line of dodgy Nigerian boyfriends. Boo has everything Ronke wants—a kind husband, gorgeous child. But she’s frustrated, unfulfilled, plagued by guilt, and desperate to remember who she used to be. Simi is the golden one with the perfect lifestyle. No one knows she’s crippled by impostor syndrome and tempted to pack it all in each time her boss mentions her ‘urban vibe.’ Her husband thinks they’re trying for a baby. She’s not. When the high-flying, charismatic Isobel explodes into the group, it seems at first she’s bringing out the best in each woman. (She gets Simi an interview in Shanghai! Goes jogging with Boo!) But the more Isobel intervenes, the more chaos she sows, and Ronke, Simi, and Boo’s close friendship begins to crack.”
Each of the women are Anglo-Nigerian. Some of the descriptions of culture made me wonder if stereotypes were being reinforced. There is also discussion of class and colorism in the story. This is a bit of a slow burn story that seemed to fizzle out, but I enjoyed my time spent with Ronke, Simi, Boo, and their stories.
Title: Heartbreakers and Fakers
Author: Cameron Lund
Genre: YA Rom Com
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio, 6/8/21
Source: Publisher via Net Galley and Audio App
Why I Read It: Working on Net Galley books
My Rating: 4 Stars
I meant to read this one in the summer, as that is the season when it takes place! I previously enjoyed Cameron Lund’s book The Best Laid Plans. This one was a little too angsty for me though! It also features a love triangle, which I hate, but even worse, because it was a love square!
“Penny Harris just ruined her life. As one of the most popular girls in school, she’s used to being invited to every party, is dating the Jordan Parker, and can’t wait to rule senior year with her best friend, Olivia. But when Penny wakes up on Jordan’s lawn the morning after his first-day-of-summer bash, she knows something went horribly wrong the night before. She kissed Kai Tanaka. Kai, her longtime nemesis. Kai, Olivia’s boyfriend. Penny can’t figure out what could have inspired her to do it–she loves Jordan and she would never hurt Olivia–but one thing’s for sure: freshly dumped, and out a best friend, the idyllic summer she pictured is over. And despite the fact that Jordan seems to be seeking comfort (and a whole lot more) in Olivia, all Penny can think about is winning him back. Kai wants to save his relationship too, so they come up with a plan: convince their friends that they really do have feelings for each other. After all, everyone forgives a good love story, and maybe seeing Penny and Kai together will make Jordan and Olivia change their minds. But as summer heats up, so does Penny and Kai’s ‘relationship,’ and Penny starts to question whether she’s truly faking it with Kai, if he’s really as terrible as she always thought he was, and if the life she’s fighting so hard to get back is the one she really wants.”
There were some smart points in this book, like about how being popular may not be the ultimate happiness, and how some friends are toxic. I thought the relationship pairings were pretty obvious, and as an adult, I could see how stupid the teens were acting. This book makes me worry for my teenaged daughter!
There you have it – 10 of the books I read this month. Of these books, 6 were print and 4 were audio books. 5 were adult and 5 were YA. Genres included non-fiction, literary fiction, thriller, verse, contemporary, and rom com.
Have you read any of these books or do you want to? What have you been reading lately?