emilybolivia's reviews
580 reviews

I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life by Ed Yong

4.0

Ed Yong is such a great science writer! I was gobsmacked by all that I learned. A good companion read to Kaiju Preservation Society!

Counting Descent by Clint Smith

5.0

Fantastic. I couldn’t put it down. Many of the poems continue to resound in my head.

Luster by Raven Leilani

5.0

I couldn’t put it down; I couldn’t look away. I lost a lot of sleep over this book. The writing style was so unique, breathless almost, there just weren’t any natural stopping points. The emotions and characters are so raw and honest that it was a book I felt with my whole body while reading it. I really want an illustrated version of this book though. I need to see Edie’s artwork!

What's Mine and Yours by Naima Coster

4.5

Anything narrated by Bahni Turpin gets a 0.5 rate boost right off the top. She is so phenomenal!

I think the synopsis doesn’t do this book justice. It is so much more about family and the generational impact of trauma than integration. The relationships—their ugliness and their loving redemption are what make this work so compelling. 

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

4.0

Fun and surprisingly heartfelt. I’ll definitely continue the series.

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

4.0

Lots of jumping around in story telling and some gaps in world-building made this a little hard to follow but I loved the queer and neurodiverse representation!! 

Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond

4.0

Matthew Desmond is such a great social justice writer. He is engaging and accessible. This didn’t focus nearly as much on individuals and I was expediting—it was much more systems level. The potential for it be outrageously dry was high but it is very readable and also short! A great non-fiction pick for people who don’t typically read non-fiction. I also appreciated that probably a third or more of the book was focused on policy and behavior changes that would make an impact. It wasn’t just “the system is sh*t and here is why”. It was that plus “here is what would make a difference”.

City Spies by James Ponti

4.0

Read this aloud to my son and we both loved it. The relationships are enduring and the kids are rockstars who are adored and respected by their grownups. The mystery part kept us guessing. Can’t wait to continue the series.

All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby

5.0

One of the best authors and narrators creating today. I love the way Cosby writes dialogue. The suspense is real and the twists are unpredictable. Heavy content warnings for this one. It weighed heavy on me, and I think it is supposed to be unsettling. 

Africa Is Not a Country: Notes on a Bright Continent by Dipo Faloyin
Did not finish book. Stopped at 19%.

Great writing and really interesting—just not the right time for me.