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PictureIcelandic cafe decor. These are color coordinated books that look cool, but the books have been cut away about 3 inches from the spine so that they can be displayed. The bookshelves don't need to be full sized this way, but the books are unreadable.

Bonus 37. Punk Love

8/30/2022

Comments

 
PictureL.J. Shen. 2006.
A short YA “romance” that is as much about toxic, unhealthy relationships as it is about romance, I found the book judgmental in a lot of ways. The protagonist is a high achieving student who doesn’t want to engage in risk teen behavior, but wants to hang out with the punk crowd and fit in with them.  The author sets up the “punks” as vegan, anti-capitalist, drug addicted jerks for the most part and in doing so let those characters pass through the story without much depth.  Having them treat each other poorly and not actually having significant commitment to their beliefs does a disservice to teens and young adults who are committed to activism and not just for show.  From that premise, I just couldn’t get into this story where the “romance” is mostly toxic and even though it is couched in those terms, it does not do a good job of putting that in context, other than to point out that “good” teen girls are sometimes attracted to “bad” boys. No nuanced discussion or explanation provided. 
Not recommended.

Comments

40. The Once and Future Witches

8/26/2022

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PictureAlix Harrow. 2020.
I was not ready for the slow-moving, complexity needed to set up the story in this book.  It took so long to set it up and for me to subsequently get into the story once it was set up, that I am having a hard time recommending it, even though by the end of the book I was emotionally invested in the outcome.  At first glance, it is a typical witch novel with three sisters, abortions, men who want to control them, and the resilience of women.  Ultimately, both the premise of the book and all the backstory comes together to make sense, but it took too long to get there for me. I think I needed the tie-together to happen earlier or the foreshadowing to be more obvious or maybe just a more aggressive editor at the beginning. 
Not recommended. 

Comments

Bonus 36. The Package

8/24/2022

Comments

 
PictureK. Bromberg. 2021.
Yet another rich boss falls for struggling low-level employee and engages in creepy stalking-like behavior cloaked as a “romance” novel.  No thank you.
Not recommended.

Comments

Bonus 35. Behind Closed Doors

8/22/2022

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Picture
I am not a fan of the working girl falls for rich established man storyline and I actively hate it when the man is her boss and is a complete jerk to the entire rest of the world.  Even if there is a backstory that might explain why that it, I am just not interested and I don’t find the boss/secretary dynamic appealing. I just find it a violation of boundaries and HR nightmare. 
Not recommended.

Comments

39. How to be an Anti-Racist

8/22/2022

Comments

 
PictureIbram Kendi. 2019.
I am most definitely burnt out on these types of books as I have read so many of them.  This one was above average for sure, especially in the opening chapters.  This is one of the better arguments for affirmative action, reparations, and intergenerational trauma support that I have read.  But as with almost every single one of these reads, by the end slips away from proactive steps that can be reasonably implemented to generalizations and shaming that I don’t find helpful.
Not recommended.

Comments

Bonus 34. Finding Love at Hedgehog Hollow

8/19/2022

Comments

 
PictureJessica Redland, 2020.
This little romance is light on romance and more of a fluff love story that doesn’t come to life as a love story until the end of the book.  If it weren’t pegged as a romance, I think it would be a better read since the crux of the story is about the main character’s relationship with her mother, aunt, and cousin, as well as with her grandfather and father.  These relationships are well explored, as are the other friendships she develops, and the long-standing conflict with her mother is painful to witness, but the protagonists growth throughout the book is quite lovely.
Recommend.

Comments

38. Harlem Shuffle

8/19/2022

Comments

 
PictureColson Whitehead. 2021.
This novel, which is about low-level organized crime and family dynamics, has wonderful prose.  Set, of course, in Harlem in the mid-1900’s, the writing brings to life the neighborhoods and characters.  Don’t let your mind wander because the storyline is fast-paced with a lot of characters to track. I tried really hard to like it, but in the end it is really more of crime story and because the focus ended up being on that, it was at the expense of telling the stories of the players in such a way that I found intriguing.  For folks who like crime stories more, I would anticipate this would be a really good read for them.
Not recommended

Comments

37. Virtual Light

8/15/2022

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PictureWilliam Gibson. 1993.
PENDING

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Bonus 33.  Love Hacked

8/10/2022

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PicturePenny Reid. 2014.
This is a steamy little romance novel from the knitting group series by the same author and while I have not liked all of the stories in that series, I actually quite liked this.  Farfetched though the plot may seem, I really liked that throughout the story as these unlikely revelations occurred, the main character would acknowledge how implausible the situation was, but that these unlikely, weird, and wild scenarios do happen to people, so why shouldn’t they happen to her? 
Recommend.

Comments

Bonus 32.  How To Be The Best Third Wheel

8/6/2022

Comments

 
Picture
This YA book about high school romance and that loneliness that comes when all of your friends have a sweetheart and you don’t is a relatively light read on the surface.  Set in Toronto, the main character is quite likeable as she tries to adapt to the changing landscape of her friendships and while the book purports to be about those romances, the real storyline that I wish had been even more developed was her friendships with both boys and girls.  The communication skills needed to maintain close friendships at that age are highlighted nicely in this book and watching the main character navigate those relationship, especially when she is hurt and justified in feeling abandoned by her friends, is the book’s strength.
Recommend.

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     I'll read anything a friend recommends & I love telling people what I think about it. Every year, I read 50 books recommended by 50 different friends.  Welcome to My 50 Bookish Friends Blog.


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