Kristin Hannah does it again! One of the best writers of all-time! Such beautiful, exquisite writing that kept me engaged throughout the entirety of the book! The development of Frankie into her confidence and sense of self was realistic and heart-wrenching. The portrayal of the war was descriptive and told necessary realities. Hannah is truly giving an ode to women in the Vietnam War and throughout history who have been forgotten. A must-read!

Such an amazing duology! I liked the 1st book better; this one took me a bit to get into. However, after about 50 pages, I was thoroughly engaged. Roman and Iris are such intriguing characters; their love is one of my literary faves! The side characters are also great; I‘d happily read a spinoff of Attie, Helena, or Marisol. This book shows this world can and should continue. The imagery and writing are exquisite. One of my fave reads of the year

Read this after being recommended by coworkers! A quick-paced, engaging memoir! It is certainly not the best writing, but the writing seems authentic to Britney. The authenticity within the writing was pivotal to the “enjoyment” of reading it. The struggles Britney details throughout the book are devastating and emotional, but her story provides an aspirational example of resilience, hope, and faith. I hope to continue seeing her on a healing path

Recently finished and absolutely loved it-I haven‘t loved a book this much in a long time! It brought me back to my middle/high school years of loving this genre so much! The writing was engaging. The characters of Iris and Roman were well-written; their chemistry was outstanding. The imagery was incredible; I can easily picture every scene and character. It includes many tropes, but the tropes were well-done. So excited to read the 2nd book!

Finished this book recently! Roxane Gay is one of my fave writers, and these essays showcase her eloquent, impactful writing. The essays touched on a ray of pivotal topics, and I love how Gay isn‘t afraid to state and explain her perspective even if it goes against the typical or majority view. I liked that there were some more lighthearted essays as compared to her previous works. Some essays were repetitive but overall it‘s an intriguing read.

1st book I‘ve finished in a while that‘s not school-related! So well-written and captures each emotion exquisitely! The 3 perspectives are distinct and fleshed out. It kept me intrigued in its entirety, and I could vividly picture each scene. Love that each character is complex and the storylines are not simply happily-ever-afters. The novel is an excellent showcase of diverse issues, such as racism, sexism, ageism, and self-identity exploration!

Learned about this book from Jeanette McCurdy‘s book club! Incredibly well-written and engaging! Love how “real” Carriere is about mental illness, troubled family dynamics, addiction, and overall life challenges. She shows that life isn‘t just a linear path to survival/recovery. Emotionally hard to read at times but inspiring! It‘s unlike any memoir or even book I‘ve read before; I hope she continues to write. I‘ll certainly be reading her work!

What a phenomenal book! It truly reaches the hype as one of the best books about trauma, mental health, and even as a nonfiction read in general. It provided so much insight and brought about much reflection of the impact of trauma. Van Der Kolk‘s writing is exquisite and his dedication is evident throughout the book. This book is great not only for the profession but for any individual interested in mental health. One of my all-time fave reads!

Absolutely phenomenal book! Love how honest Tarana was! Many memoirs paint the lead as perfect; however Burke showed an openness to realizing her past mistakes, learning from them, and making progress. Her empathy, compassion, and love for others is evident throughout the book. She has made a profound difference for diverse populations around the world, and the book instills further gratitude for her. One of the best memoirs I have ever read!

Just finished this! I checked it out after seeing the popularity of the book at my job and great reviews from my friends. However, it was not my favorite read. I found it to be too long and repetitive. It was predictable and tedious at times. I did not like the characterization of any character and felt that many conflicts/problems had too easy solutions. The writing is well-done though and I would consider reading another book by her.

Read this for my book club and loved it! One of my all-time fave graphic novels now! The art is beautiful and well-done; the story is unique; and there‘s a perfect blend of diverse emotions. The exploration of identity and discovery of oneself is subtle yet well-done! One of the few graphic novels or stories that shows the complexities of characters rather than as all good or all bad. I would definitely read a prequel, spin-off, or sequel to it!

Chose this book after I saw it was one of Jennette McCurdy‘s book club picks! Such a holistic portrayal of mental illness and how it impacts families intergenerationally. The pacing was great; I was never bored. So many memorable lines and themes that will continue to stick with me! This is the book I‘ve read that portrays mental illness within a family most realistically! Most of the characters aren‘t likable but their journeys are fascinating.

I don‘t read comedic books regularly but read this since I love the podcast! However, I found the book disappointing. A lot of parts did not have me laughing out loud unlike the podcast. A lot of the lengths of each portion were off-some were too long and others too short. The humor got repetitive. I did love Harris Wittel‘s part and found Weird Al‘s portions to be especially funny. Overall, I recommend the podcast much more than the book.

One of my new all-time fave books! Such an accurate, relatable book! Reyes captures the perspective of a teen making mistakes amidst discovering herself perfectly! Sexuality, mental illness, identity, relationship development and fallout, and family dynamics were represented so well! I felt every type of emotion reading this! It took me over a year to read after seeing it at Politics &Prose but it was worth the wait!

Chose this from a pride display at my library job and after hearing great reviews! It reached the hype! Johnson is a phenomenal writer that made me feel diverse emotions throughout the book. There are so many lines, themes, and points that will continue to stick with me. I especially loved the chapters on his grandmother and forgiveness of his cousin who abused him. The book provides good guidance without being preachy. One of my new fave books!

My latest Atwood read! The stories were so well-written! I loved how each story connected to each other in some way; I have never read another short story connection that maintains such well-rounded connections. There was a diverse mixture of emotions. “My Evil Mother” and the “interview” with a famous past author were my faves but no story was boring or irrelevant. Atwood remains an outstanding author that I always look forward to!

Truly an outstanding, momentous book!!! The writing is exquisite! Twohey and Kantor made it through so many obstacles to report on Weinstein‘s atrocious behavior and were a pivotal part in moving the #MeToo movement forward. The book is meticulously researched, but no part of it is boring or too bogged down with repetitive, archaic language. This book provides a perfect model displaying the continuing importance towards believing women.

Took me about a month and a half to read cause of work and grad school but it was worth it! Margaret Atwood is such an exquisite writer! She combines diverse emotions throughout. The ending was unpredictable and well-done. So many memorable quotes about womanhood, aging, mental health, wealth, and society. The characters and storylines are complex and intriguing. The book is takes place in the early 1900s; however its points are still pertinent!

Jaclyn Friedman is one of my fave authors and this book did not disappoint! It offers a simple, inclusive guide to achieving personal openness to sexuality. The exercises were diverse and helpful. The book remained intriguing throughout its entirety. I loved how respective and inclusive she was of races/ethnicities, sexual orientations, abilities, and religions. Friedman portrays that if one thing works for her it may not work for everyone else.

Finished earlier today! Margaret Atwood is my fave author, and this one did not disappoint! It was so psychologically complex and tense. It was well-written; each line was so eloquent. The book was thought-provoking and will remain with me. I can do much psychoanalysis of it. Such an accurate, intense portrayal of mental illness and overall psychological deterioration. Looking forward to the next Atwood book I get from the library!

1st book I finished of the year! Such a phenomenal read! I loved the focuses on intersectionality, mental health, and growth. Each essay was well-written; there was not one I didn‘t like. I also loved that the book featured discussion on Afro-Latinas; I have found that this population is often ignored or glided over. There was such genuineness, knowledge, and tenderness to the book. Each author, Brown, and Burke are inspirations!

Such a disappointment after loving Invitation to a Bonfire and enjoying the writing of the Daughters by Adrienne Celt. The book was repetitive and boring. There was such an intense presence of toxic masculinity and a fear of putting LGBT+ identity in the central characters. The writing felt silly and even nonsensical at times. The major “twist” was predictable and did not incite much emotion. This was my least fave read of the year.

Decided to read the book after listening to a bunch of episodes of the podcast and loved both of them! Frances-White does an excellent job of combining humor, practical advice, and personal experience. The book was the perfect length. It had a great amount of intersectionality and diverse perspectives. I didn‘t find any part of the book boring or irrelevant. I‘ll continue listening to the podcast and hope she writes more books!

Finished this yesterday and it‘s the 2nd book I‘ve read by Adrienne Celt! This one was disappointing. Celt‘s writing style, especially her story telling and details, is beautiful but it often felt that there was no discernible plot in the book. I did not feel a connection to any of the characters. By the end, it got repetitive and boring. Such a disappointment after reading Invitation to a Bonfire and loving it!

Definitely my fave read of the year and one of my all-time fave books! Jennette is such a talented writer; the writing is so eloquent and intriguing. The book made me feel such a wide spectrum of emotions. Her honesty in showing the abuse and trauma family can inflict is so important to address. I love that she does not try to sugarcoat any of it. She is an inspiration and hope for healing. I can‘t wait to see what else she writes!

Finished this yesterday! I don‘t agree with all of Stock‘s views; however, the book is extremely well-written. Stock did a great job of providing ample evidence for her perspectives. She does provide some important points I agree with, such as society‘s tendency to proclaim to be intersectional and inclusive when it is not and the lack of evidence-based views when discussing “facts.” I was surprised to enjoy and learn from this book!

Just finished this and loved it! It was so well-written and kept me invested in its entirety! The book felt so realistic and was the perfect length. The characters and story itself are psychologically complex, which I love in a book. I didn‘t predict the ending like I have with most psychology thrillers/dramas I‘ve read. I am so excited that it‘s going to be a show with my favorite actress! I will be reading other books by Adrienne Celt!

Recently finished this and loved it! I gained so much insight into the history of television and how 4 remarkable women have led the history of it! Prior to reading the book I only knew of Betty White and did not realize how much she did throughout her life to change television and the role of professional women. Each woman‘s story was interesting and Armstrong did a great job showing and connecting the woman‘s lives and impacts.

Just finished this! It‘s my 2nd Taylor Jenkins Reid book and I much preferred Daisy Jones. This one was highly cliched; none of it surprised me. I also didn‘t love any of the characters. The problems felt too easily resolved. The descriptions of the landscape are great and I can picture it as a movie/show. I felt compelled to keep reading it because of the writing style; otherwise, I would not have kept going. Sadly disappointed by this!

Such a phenomenal book and my fave bell hooks book I have read so far! She did an excellent job of exploring intersectionality and depth of love in female-identified individuals! My fave section was the one focused on the lasting and impactful love of a true friendship. It was a quick read yet so profound! It emphasizes the importance of different types of love, what these loves are, and what influences them, for all people!

Just finished my book club‘s pick! Such an intriguing read! It is unlike any book I have read before! Montell did a great job of showing the depth and intersectionality of the word cult, cults themselves, people in cults, and people fascinated with them. There are diverse types of cults explained, not just the typical ones, such as Jonestown. The book is easy to understand for readers not in linguistics. I look forward to reading more by her!

Such a phenomenal book and a must-read!!!!! This is the 2nd book I‘ve read by bell hooks and I plan to read many more! She did an excellent job at tackling the importance of intersectionality and addressing societal problems head-on. She explored the complexity of issues, such as the limitations of mainstream feminism, thoroughly. She did not take an us vs. them approach or state that only one group is at fault. One of my new fave books!

Haven‘t read much lately because I‘ve been busy with grad school but I did finish this one! It had a slow start but I ended up loving it! It was original, well-written and so interesting! I liked both Roma and Juliet and many of the side characters. I don‘t like most retellings I‘ve read: thus, I was pleasantly surprised by this one! It also had a great amount of diverse representation! I am so excited to read the next book!

Finished this yesterday! I loved it! Beck made so many important points about the need for an intersectional feminism and how much of mainstream feminism is highly limited. She did an excellent job discussing key historical periods for feminism in an intriguing manner! Beck proposes necessary changes to the broadening of feminism for all women rather than just the elite. I have read a lot of feminist nonfiction and this one stands out!

A very quick read that I really enjoyed! She-Hulk is one of my all-time fave Marvel characters! I loved reading a collection of She-Hulk comics published throughout different decades and with different artists/writers. John Bryne‘s She-Hulk comics continue to be my fave ones. I also loved the first ever comic of her by Stan Lee and the one with Spider-Man. Each comic in this had enjoyable elements to it!

Finished this yesterday! It was outstanding and has become one of my favorite books! Mojica Rodriguez handles so many topics so well, such as racism in academic, toxic family dynamics, and the journey to accepting oneself amidst discrimination and trauma. It was incredibly well-written and engaging. It‘s an important read for diverse individuals. I love how authentic she is in her journey and the innumerable problems that exist for BIPOC globally.

Finished this yesterday! I loved the premise of the book; however, I found it oftentimes to be repetitive. The different perspectives throughout the book were very similar and even indistinguishable sometimes. The primary character Harry did not face much development. Many of the psychological points seemed to just be thrown in there without context or appropriateness to the story. It did make many important points about sexism and discrimination

Loved it so much!!! Evanna is an amazing writer! She covered so many themes and literary elements so honestly and well! There were many emotional moments; however, they were interspersed with inspiration and humor. I did not know much about her before reading this book beyond knowing that she played my fave character in Harry Potter. She shows the importance of mental health help not only at low points but throughout life. A must-read!

First completed read of the year! I enjoyed the first comic of the book, which was by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee. However, the remainder of the book with other authors and artists got repetitive. Some of the dialogue seemed to be trying too hard. Also, the art for the female characters, especially Mary Jane, was too sexualized. The villains were all cool; I would love to read other comics with them, especially Hobgoblin and Doc Oc!

My final completed read of the year! This was my first complete bell hooks book; I had read many passages from her works in my gender and sexuality courses. This has become one of my all-time fave books. It‘s so important to talk about the relation of men to feminism and patriarchy. Many works I have read focus on only a limited population of women when talking about feminism. This is profound and truly a must-read!!!

I was really disappointed in this one. The first book is one of my fave books of all time. However, this one is repetitive. There were so many tropes and overall predictable things. Many problems were wrapped up too simplistically. I didn‘t like that almost Ari‘s entire focus is on Dante; more occurs in senior year of high school than a relationship. I also found many grammatical and spelling errors. So disappointing for me!

I greatly enjoyed this book! Even though it was published in the early 1970s, the insights are still so applicable. Chesler is unflinching in describing the terrible sexism, discrimination, and overall harm that has been done to women. She excellently described how psychological treatment has especially failed women time and time again. This is the 3rd book by Chesler that I have enjoyed and will surely stay with me!

The book started out intriguing; however it got repetitive quickly. I thought the direction Meg‘s life had taken was realistic and pertinent to her character. I found myself enjoying her perspective more than Jo‘s. However, I think Jo‘s side of the story grew too focused on romance and obscured her independent spirit. The immense devotion given to Jo‘s infatuation to Eric was disappointing.

I loved the premise of it! I think it is so interesting to explore women murderers. However, I found the book to be repetitive at times. Additionally, the focus was not only on murders-sometimes it meandered into describing female displays of aggression. I wished there was more diverse cases described rather than just ten or so female murderers. Overall, the writing was good but the book was disappointing.

I loved it! It was so thrilling and psychologically complex! The imagery and perspective of Joan was oftentimes disturbing and unlike anything I have read before. I did not like Lisa Taddeo‘s first Book Three Women too much; I liked this one so much more. It was unpredictable and gripping. It‘s a hard, emotional read at times. I love psychologically complex stories and characters and this book satisfied this love exquisitely!

It started out a bit slow for me; but, I ended up loving it! Now it is not only one of my fave books of the year but one of my favorite all-time YA books! It is unique, and Boulley does an excellent job capturing the mind of a teen. The book excellently explores the complexities and challenges of love, loss, grief, and hope. Each character, especially Daunis, was well-developed and intriguing. It taught me so much about Native American culture!

I love the premise of the book; however, I was very disappointed in it. I love stories about clones; my favorite show centers around clones. However, I found much of this book to be cliched and boring. I felt minimal suspense or eagerness to know what was going to happen. I predicted the "twists." I wish there was more character and plot development. There are much more interesting and developed stories on clones out there.

Such a phenomenal collection of works gathered from around the world!!!! The diversity is exquisite! Each piece is so powerful. The division of sections was well-done. I love that the editors did not just choose creators from particular areas or careers; they strived for and achieved reflecting the rich, innumerable experiences of black people. The collection shows the tough realities of being black but also provides hope and love.

I love the premise of the book; however, I find it to be repetitive and much too long. I didn't find any of the major characters likely and did not think there was much character development. I did not like the portrayal of depression as seen in Henry. After 300+ years of living, I expected Addie to visit more diverse places, not just white American or European countries. The imagery is good; I can certainly see this as a movie.

I'm a big fan of Jenny Lawson, but I found this book to be disappointing. I didn't have any laugh-out-loud moments. I found much of it to be repetitive. There is a lack of order to the essays. My favorite essays were the 1st one and last 2. She did make a variety of important points about mental health, especially related to ADHD and depression. I do love the cover of the book. I recommend Furiously Happy much more.