The Worst Best Man

I have been working through the Aspen Words 2021 longlist over the past 2 months and, while I’ve been loving the books, they are all (by definition due to the prize’s goal in recognizing authors/fiction about key social issues) a bit heavy and intense. So, I needed something a little lighter mixed in. Cue the…

The Undocumented Americans

Basically everyone, like actually everyone, read this book and said it was one of the best of the year last year (2020). I have never seen a more universally read and recognized book, especially nonfiction. And in a wonderful (and “finally”) turn, it was also recognized on a more “official” level than just the reader/bookstagram…

Furia

This book is a YA situation that appealed to me on a very deep level. I grew up playing soccer because my father played. And my brothers too, though they were younger than me, they started before me and I decided to try because, I don’t know, sibling FOMO maybe? Anyways, it turned out to…

The Office of Historical Corrections

My 10th Aspen Words Literary Prize 2021 longlist read! I’m two thirds of the way there – maybe I will actually make it! Anyways, this one was amaze-balls. As per usual, here's a quick note with reactions for each story, and the closing novella of course, with some final thoughts to wrap it up. The…

Minor Feelings

I've had this one on my TBR since it came out last year, so I'm excited to finally have gotten to it. I don't really have a lot else to say in this little intro. I had both the audiobook and physical book from the library, which I am realizing more and more that I really…

The Night Watchman

My 6th Aspen Words 2021 longlist read! I feel like it’s gonna be cutting it close to get this whole longlist read, but I am doing my best. This is my third novel by Erdrich. I read The Round House before joining starting this blog, years ago now, so I don’t have an official review…

Shuggie Bain

I spent months watching @dsweet_library hype this book up. I am not sure I’ve ever seen a reader go so hard for a novel before. It was awesome. So anyways, of course I added it to my TBR. Since then, it also won the 2020 Booker and was a National Book Award Finalist, so other,…

Leave the World Behind

This is the fourth book I’m getting to on the Aspen Words Literary Prize 2021 longlist! In all honesty, this is one of the books on the longlist that was lowest on my “interested in reading” list. I had “meh” feelings about the synopsis and even though the reviews I’ve seen have all been quite…

Transcendent Kingdom

Like many other people, I absolutely loved Homegoing. I read it a few years ago and was truly blown away. It’s actually one of the very first books I ever reviewed on my blog. (Also, looking back at the post to link it here, I had totally forgotten that I included recommendations for similar books…

Delicious!

The August (I know, I know, but I somehow overlooked it, so it's getting a very last review post) book theme for my long-distance book club was food. I have no idea where we came up with that, but it was a fun theme that prompted a lot of super awesome book suggestions! Plus, convenient,…