My Reading Taste with Star Ratings
You may notice by now that my reviews and wrap-ups are absent of star ratings, though I do occasionally shout from the rooftops when a book HITS.
I’m admittedly a fickle creature by nature and chaff against the constraints of black and white, yes and no, because nothing ever is anyway, right? I tend to wax and wane on my thoughts before going full send, assuring each part of me is in accordance with the other (a rare feat, indeed).
But sometimes one must bow to the laws of a good trend, and when I saw @lit_laugh_luv and a handful of you all sharing your favs, mids, and misses, I abandoned my starless ways. Many of these are rounded up or down from .5 ratings, but it is the price I pay for my indecision.
Meet the Bookstagrammer
Hi friends!!
Since I have a lot of new faces here, I thought I’d give a little introduction. Many of you know my tendency to read heartbreaking books but ya girl has layers (not all of them are sad).
I’m so grateful for you all and the opportunities this account has afforded me. Thank you never feels like enough but know that I appreciate each of you so, so much.
Love ya!!!
What makes Knopf, Knopf? 🤔 Innovators, legends, laureates—and iconic chefs!! Partnered with @thiefofmemory , May’s Knopf 101 highlights our classic cookbooks:
“Food isn’t just the sustenance we live on. Though it begins as grains in the earth and fruit hanging from a tree, and is pounded and mulled into palatable form, its importance lies in the cultural significance and tradition that each dish derives from.
And much like travel allows us to see landscapes beyond our own, food breaches the gap and brings humanity closer on the most basic level of survival: community.
Conversations over potluck dinners, written recipes handed down from generation to generation, and savory scents inviting the most precious memories to boil to the surface. The taste of that particular spice reminds you of home, the warmth in your belly a comfort.
Food is a form of love.”
. .
#KnopfCooks
#ABorzoiBook
John of John by Douglas Stuart
A cool breeze brings young Cal back to the Isle of Harris. Tucked under the wet wing of waves lapping at ferry walls, he returns to his devout father, and a place where his dreams of becoming a textile artist drown in the rising tide. A place where he cannot be himself.
But he isn’t the only Macleod harboring a secret, for the isle is full of dark places to hide. His father’s constant disappointment drives a wedge between them, Cal’s unwillingness to concede to the isle’s ways the weapon. And as the seasons change and lamb’s wool thickens, the precarious thread holding their relationship together threatens to snap.
—
Well, he’s gone and done it again.
Douglas Stuart remains one of the few modern authors whose books are all 6-star reads for me, and that’s a mighty big tell for a gal who doesn’t rate reviews. The dialect, scene-setting so immersive I could taste salt water on my tongue, and the cast of characters wholly realized—all of it a feat to witness.
Perhaps most cleverly done would be the calm roll reversal between father and son, subtle in its execution yet a blunt force blow once the realization hits. Duty to family versus duty to yourself—how does one choose? Who do you become when you try desperately to be someone else for the sake of others?
My eternal gratitude to @douglas_stuart and @groveatlantic for this incredible book. Happy pub day!!
Books About Girlhood
To growing through the pain as much as the pleasure. To friendships turned more, nights spent head to toe, toe to head, throats sore from laughter, shoulders drenched in tears, and arms to hold you steady.
MY BRILLIANT FRIEND by Elena Ferrante, translated by Ann Goldstein
GIRL’S GIRL by Sonia Feldman
SUNBURN by Chloe Michelle Howarth
THE GIRLS WHO GREW BIG by Leila Mottley
WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE by Jenny Mustard
ON THE SAVAGE SIDE by Tiffany McDaniel
KIN by Tayari Jones
GIRL, WOMAN, OTHER by Bernardine Evaristo
STARLING by Kirsten Cram
WHITE OLEANDER by Janet Fitch
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#bookreel #bookrecs #girlhood #booksbywomen #readmorewomen
Big Books That Are Worth the Page Count
Though my reading pace has slowed this year, I’ll always make time to hunker down with a nice thicc boi and settle in for the long haul. Whether it be historical or horror, I just wanna get lost in the sauce.
Bully me in the comments to read some on my tbr 😘
Indie Bookstore Day with Libro.fm
This Saturday, April 25th, we celebrate the bookstores that keep our communities together. They support local artists, offer a space to relax and chat, and encourage the fostering of relationships through reading.
With each audiobook I purchase on @librofm , I’m able to give back to my favorite indie, @thenextchapterli . They share profits with indie bookstores, and are a great alternative to Amazon-owned Audible!
Why do you love your indie bookstore?
