khanyareads's reviews
121 reviews

Theology, Religion, and Dystopia by Scott Donahue-Martens, Brandon Simonson

informative medium-paced

3.5

Candelaria: A Novel by Melissa Lozada-Oliva

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez

adventurous challenging reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

Doll Seed: Stories by Michele Tracy Berger

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.25

Thank you to @netgalley and @auntlute for the advance reading copy of #dollseedstories by Michele Tracy Berger. The book comes out on October 1st, right on time for spooky season!

#dollseedstories is easy to read, making it accessible to multiple age ranges. The pacing in this collection evokes visual media and was so visually pleasing to my imagination. In Berger’s worlds, sentient fast food mascots exist comfortably alongside aliens, ancient spirits, and ghosts. Prepare to encounter an unlikely cast of characters in a collection where Lovecraft Country meets Black Mirror served with a side of Chuckycore madness. 

The longer the stories were, the more I enjoyed them! Berger’s imagination shines through the more pages her short stories occupy, allowing you to immerse yourself in the worlds she creates. The shorter stories, while fascinating, were a hit or miss for me.

Yearning appears as a central theme, especially in the longer stories. In ‘Nussia’, a young Black tween wins a competition to host an alien child and longs for the alien’s unconditional friendship. In ‘Doll Seed’, a self-aware doll plays a pivotal role in the desegregation of American education while desiring a true connection to her forever human. In ‘Cemetery Sisters’, a Black teen craves a life outside her secluded community and an ill-fated future until she finds love in an unlikely place and renegotiates her relationship with her mother. 

I love how the stories explore spirituality as a source of empowerment for the characters. The magical and sci-fi elements appearing alongside the banality of racism in America made this an unforgettable read for me. If you liked #theofficeofhistoricalcorrections — and Danielle Evans’ unflinching examination of the intersection of Blackness with other states of being in the US— then make sure to add #dollseedstories to your tbr!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide

Innards: Stories by Magogodi oaMphela Makhene

adventurous challenging funny informative tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Astra Magazine, Ecstasy: Issue One by Literary Collections › EssaysFiction / Anthologies (multiple authors)Literary Collections / EssaysPoetry / Anthologies (multiple authors)

dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.25

She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity by Joe Ochman, Carl Zimmer

challenging informative slow-paced

3.75

She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity by Carl Zimmer
Did not finish book. Stopped at 2%.

Moved to audio