alexandriaslibrary's reviews
226 reviews

Butter Honey Pig Bread by francesca ekwuyasi

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

A braided story of a mother and her twin daughters who reunite after their childhood trauma drove them apart. Normally I’m not huge on multiple POVs but this was very well done, each character felt really well rounded and unique. Also the food writing here is top notch!

Terminal Boredom by Izumi Suzuki

dark reflective

4.25

LOVE her voice, can’t wait to dive into her novels. So unusual, so crisp, so “contemporary” for stories written decades ago

For fans of Sayaka Murata or Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

Classic case of characters who really need therapy and to stop being so horny

Gigi by Colette

dark reflective slow-paced

4.5

People have always been people! Love authors that are deeply concerned with society and psychology. Gigi follows a girl who is being groomed to become a mistress/sex worker (courtesan if you will) as she grows close to a wealthy bachelor

The Cat is a novella about a young groom who cannot decide if he is happy to be married (but he DEFINITELY loves his cat) (his wife does not love that he loves his cat) 

Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain

dark funny informative medium-paced

4.75

Feeeedd the biiitcchhhhhh is entering my permanent lexicon 

My Face for the World to See by Alfred Hayes

dark sad medium-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

There is nothing quite like an ill-fated affair between two people who need some serious help

Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe

emotional funny reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

A tightly wound story with a narrator you can't help but like

Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin

adventurous dark

4.0

Unsettling, unusual, and crisp stories! Things aren't what they seem, or they are what they seem and what they are is freaky

Girlfriends by Emily Zhou

reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

Short stories about trans women having crushes, smoking weed, and considering their relationships. Relatable, tender, and bittersweet

It Lasts Forever and Then It's Over by Anne de Marcken

dark reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.75

Is it really a favorite for me if it isn't described as "haunting"? Wow! A story of a zombie mourning her former lover and their quiet, beautiful life together before the end of the world. The monster-trope is so well-utilized here. The narration and world is heightened just so that is really draws out the grief, heartache, and struggle with morality. For fans of Carmen Maria Machado, Julia Armfield, and the 2013 classic 'Warm Bodies!'