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arijwl's reviews
212 reviews
All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson
fast-paced
5.0
A love letter to Black queer people and all their multitudes. The stories about George's family members, who are incredibly queer affirming, really warmed my heart. Loved all the found family too. I see a lot of myself in George and really wish I could've read something like this when I was younger and desperately in need of this sort of proof that I can be loved as I am. Happy to read it now though, and it makes me so happy to know that many Black queer kids (and adults) will get to read it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
It's usually difficult for me to rate & review memoirs, but I can easily say that Jennette McCurdy's memoir is outstanding. I listened to her read her book and, similarly to Michelle Zauner's audiobook, I felt the weight of every word to my core. In all honesty, I found the majority of the book very triggering, but I knew that it'd be that way for me going in; I have a ton of respect for how authentically Jennette shared such intimate details of her life and wish her all the best! Love her sense of humor through it all, too. (I stay using humor as a coping mechanism, so I found that super relatable haha)
Also, gotta add one more thing--I really enjoyed her interview with Drew Barrymore. I watched it back in 2022 before even reading the book and something she said stuck with me years after: "If saying the truth ends a relationship, then it is probably a relationship that needed to end."
That quote and her takes on how destructive shame can be are so impactful. All the props to Jennette McCurdy for writing this book! So happy to hear she's writing and directing now.
Also, gotta add one more thing--I really enjoyed her interview with Drew Barrymore. I watched it back in 2022 before even reading the book and something she said stuck with me years after: "If saying the truth ends a relationship, then it is probably a relationship that needed to end."
That quote and her takes on how destructive shame can be are so impactful. All the props to Jennette McCurdy for writing this book! So happy to hear she's writing and directing now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse
Someplace Generous: An Inclusive Romance Anthology by Amber Flame, Elaina Ellis
3.75
This was such a beautiful collection of love stories! I really enjoyed how different they all were and found myself laughing and swooning a lot, so I’m more than satisfied. The stories were definitely diverse too. Even more so than I expected.
A few were a bit off putting or way too short but overall this was a fun read. Definitely recommend the audiobook as well! (I alternated between my paperback copy, digital copy from Libby, and Libro.fm audiobook.)
My faves:
-Why Won’t You Die by Jessica P. Price
-The Boiler Room by Max Stelson
-Heart of Stone by Sophia Bahar Vaccaro
A few were a bit off putting or way too short but overall this was a fun read. Definitely recommend the audiobook as well! (I alternated between my paperback copy, digital copy from Libby, and Libro.fm audiobook.)
My faves:
-Why Won’t You Die by Jessica P. Price
-The Boiler Room by Max Stelson
-Heart of Stone by Sophia Bahar Vaccaro
Babel by R.F. Kuang
4.5
I truly enjoyed Babel! I almost studied linguistics in college, so I found all the language deep dives, footnotes, and match pairs really fascinating.
I loved the college setting and thought Robin was a compelling albeit frustrating protagonist. The commentary on colonialism felt heavy handed at times, but I really like the way R.F. Kuang explored intersectionality and colorism. And while they deserved WAY more character development, I adored Robin’s cohort.
My main gripe is that I think the book would’ve been more compelling if half of it was from one of the other’s character’s perspective rather than Robin’s perspective in addition to the occasional interlude. I desperately needed to know more about Victoire, Ramy, Letty, and Griffin, especially considering the way the second half of the book played out.
Overall though, I loved this book! It’s a page turner for sure and so many moments in the second half had my jaw on the floor. I liked it a lot more than Yellowface and didn’t feel like it was a chore to finish even though it did have similar pacing issues. I know Babel is pretty controversial, but I honestly had such a great time reading it!
I loved the college setting and thought Robin was a compelling albeit frustrating protagonist. The commentary on colonialism felt heavy handed at times, but I really like the way R.F. Kuang explored intersectionality and colorism. And while they deserved WAY more character development, I adored Robin’s cohort.
My main gripe is that I think the book would’ve been more compelling if half of it was from one of the other’s character’s perspective rather than Robin’s perspective in addition to the occasional interlude. I desperately needed to know more about Victoire, Ramy, Letty, and Griffin, especially considering the way the second half of the book played out.
Overall though, I loved this book! It’s a page turner for sure and so many moments in the second half had my jaw on the floor. I liked it a lot more than Yellowface and didn’t feel like it was a chore to finish even though it did have similar pacing issues. I know Babel is pretty controversial, but I honestly had such a great time reading it!
Horns For Hell by Rafael Nicolás
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
May the record show that no one writes shame and affection that is somehow healing my religious trauma better than rafael nicolás.
Seriously though, Rosier is a beautifully written character with complex feelings that are all too relatable for anyone who was once deeply religious and/or loves hard. The pacing of this book was gorgeous and the prose painted a heart wrenching picture that I couldn’t get enough of. I also loved reading about Lucifer again. These relationships make me want to melt and scream and cry; I truly don’t know how to act!!!
Very heavy topics are explored so please be cognizant of the book’s content warnings. My only con is that it was too short, but hey—it’s a novella, so I can’t complain too much haha.
5/5.
God, I cannot wait to read Angels 3…
Seriously though, Rosier is a beautifully written character with complex feelings that are all too relatable for anyone who was once deeply religious and/or loves hard. The pacing of this book was gorgeous and the prose painted a heart wrenching picture that I couldn’t get enough of. I also loved reading about Lucifer again. These relationships make me want to melt and scream and cry; I truly don’t know how to act!!!
Very heavy topics are explored so please be cognizant of the book’s content warnings. My only con is that it was too short, but hey—it’s a novella, so I can’t complain too much haha.
5/5.
God, I cannot wait to read Angels 3…
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Suicide attempt, War
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
3.0
I wanted to love it more, but I just didn’t really feel strongly about Nora & Charlie…
The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce
5.0
This book SLAPS! Exes to lover is a hard trope to perfect, and Jessica Joyce knocked it out of the park. It’s heart wrenching, romantic, and doesn’t pull punches when it comes to acknowledging what actually pulled these two apart. It’s a book full of so much love, platonic and romantic.
The last two chapters fr fr had me sobbing, this is not a drill. Also every side character felt so authentic and made me want to read a spin off all about them! I adored this book and miss it already.
The last two chapters fr fr had me sobbing, this is not a drill. Also every side character felt so authentic and made me want to read a spin off all about them! I adored this book and miss it already.
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
5.0
Where to even begin…
Martyr! truly shook me to my core. I listened to the audiobook and have to give so many flowers to Arian Moayed for a stunning performance. I cried multiple times! This book just felt so raw and unexpected (the dream sequences are everything ahhh). I also felt like it handled addiction, grief, and familial/romantic relationships very well.
I thought some plot points didn’t add up, but there wasn’t anything that made it difficult for me to keep reading. If I had the hard copy I would’ve been highlighting left and right. This book deserves all the hype, and you best believe I will be re-reading it in the near future.
Martyr! truly shook me to my core. I listened to the audiobook and have to give so many flowers to Arian Moayed for a stunning performance. I cried multiple times! This book just felt so raw and unexpected (the dream sequences are everything ahhh). I also felt like it handled addiction, grief, and familial/romantic relationships very well.
I thought some plot points didn’t add up, but there wasn’t anything that made it difficult for me to keep reading. If I had the hard copy I would’ve been highlighting left and right. This book deserves all the hype, and you best believe I will be re-reading it in the near future.