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kaitsbookshelves's reviews
89 reviews
The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person by Frederick Joseph
5.0
5 stars & a must read for every white person. This book is an amazing introduction into how white people have been complicit in race, how Black people have had to deal and live with the consequences of white ignorance, and how white people can try to become better accomplices to Black people. This book gives firsthand insight into the lives of Black people as we read about, not only Frederick Joseph, but also those who he has chosen to interview. This book also contains a glossary (for easy to find definitions) and extra books, movies, and songs to check out so that we can appreciate media that has been made by Black people. Being one of the very best books to pick up if you are trying to learn more about race and social justice, this book is definitely something I would recommend to any white person who wants to take an active approach to understand race and actually change their problematic, racially driven thoughts and behaviors (which every one of us needs to work on).
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
5.0
Please please PLEASE read this book! This story follows Avery, who has just inherited the fortune of a billionaire she knows nothing about and she gets to live in his super cool mansion. It is fulls of puzzles and riddles and even secret passageways. The only stipulation: she must live there for a year. Easy enough, right? Not exactly. She must live there with the family who was disinherited by said billionaire and they are really not happy about it. The family thinks she is a con woman and will stop at nothing to get their fortune back. I was not quite sure if I would like this book and I wasn't a huge reader when I picked this up. Little did I know that this would be the book that sparked my obsession with reading again. Because of that, I absolutely recommend this book! The book was well-paced, the writing style was good, chapters were short and digestible, the characters are so lovable that I feel like I am actually a part of this family, and I honestly just could not wait to read the second book. Please, be good to yourself & read this book.
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
5.0
This book was so emotional that it made me sick to my stomach. 5 stars. This book follows Lily Hu as she grapples with what it means to grow up as a Chinese American who is questioning her sexuality. Having felt as though she had her sexuality figured out, Kathleen Miller shouldn't give her butterflies in her stomach. However, as her feelings for Kath grow stronger, she learns what it is like to fall in love differently than how it has been envisioned for her. This book is hard-hitting and especially emotional for those who can relate to the story. This book gave me insight into what it meant to be a Chinese American who is figuring themselves out and probably growing up differently that what is expected in a time where the threat of deportation threatens those closest to them. It reminded me of just how dangerous it can be for others who are not as privileged as me to come out. Being a lesbian and reading Last Night at the Telegraph Club, I saw myself represented here and I am especially grateful for that. I honestly think that everyone should read this book at least once to experience the kind of love that Lily and Kath have found in each other.
The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
5.0
Usually, the second book in a series dips off and becomes less interesting or just doesn't live up to the hype like the first one did. Luckily, that is not the case with this one. This book is amazing. After the first book, we learn that we are not quite done solving riddles and puzzles as we are sent on another mission. This book is arguably filled with even more twists and turn than the first one and the romance subplot is a lot more developed as we progress through the love triangle that is Avery, Jameson, and Grayson. Again, in the second installment in The Inheritance Games trilogy, we have a well-rounded plot, the same lovable characters, short chapters with fast-paced action, and a story that is shaping up to have a really great ending in the final book. I am excited to see where Barnes goes from here and how she can turn this series into something even greater than what it already is.
Heartstopper Volume 1 by Alice Oseman
5.0
Somebody get the other 3 books into my hands immediately because I am pretty sure, given the time, I could finish this entire series in a day. Although, that still might not be enough content to satisfy my need to be back in this world with Charlie and Nick. Charlie starts in a new class and sits next to older rugby star Nick. As time passes they become friends and, for Charlie, much more than that. However, as Nick starts to realize he also has these feelings, he begins to struggle with his own sexual identity and what it would mean to come out. These graphic novels are so well written, the artwork is incredibly beautiful, and I genuinely feel like I am right there with these two boys as they begin to fall for one another and what effects these feelings have on their lives. I am so excited for the second graphic novel as I fall in love with these characters and see where their love takes them.
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
3.0
I was really rooting for this book and I had seen so many online reviews of it being just okay. I really wanted it to be good but it was...not? Like, it wasn't bad but it also just wasn't that good. I thought it was just deeply alright. In this book, we follow Mateo and Rufus who get a call during the early morning of September 5th that that are going to die before the day is up. As they realize that their time is going to run out, they decide to make a Last Friend in each other. They meet up for one epic final day as they say their goodbyes and live their lives to the fullest (as much as they can at least). Throughout this book, I thought that it began to get repetitive and the characters were not developing much. I wished that Rufus would say more or that the story would even get more exciting. I feel like, just as Mateo and Rufus were playing it safe, so was the author of this book. This book is, by no means, bad. I just wished it would give me more. One positive of the book is that it did make me emotional as they described death and how they were feeling as they knew they were gonna die but it wasn't the tearjerker, tug of the heartstrings I was searching for.
Women Don't Owe You Pretty by Florence Given
2.0
I bought this book back in 2020 and it felt like every other book about feminism I had ever picked up but with cute colors. This one looks really nice and the artwork is probably the only positive I can point out as someone who has already heard these topics over and over again. This book really did not try to be anything new even though it advertised itself as refreshing and audacious. Honestly, I felt like this would be a good gift for my niece as she gets older (probably middle school age) or someone who hasn't heard of feminism. Maybe if someone lived under a rock and hadn't been around when these "radical" feminist topics were actually new, this book would actually be good for them. However, I just found this book to be incredibly boring and I wouldn't recommend it unless you want it to look pretty on your coffee table.