mariah_wika's reviews
71 reviews

I've barely read fantasy for 20 years, and this was the most enchanting way to get hooked again. Fabulous character development. I loved that characters had a broad range of gender identities and sexualities. Tore through it.

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez

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emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

4.5

The first book I've read entirely in Spanish! I loved the main character, Julia. She's believable, relatable, and complex. I felt such immense tenderness for her and her family. Really compelling cross-generational immigrant family dynamics.

Know My Name by Chanel Miller

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5.0

Goddamn, Chanel Miller is a magnificent storyteller. Her words tugged me in and sat me down on a park bench right next to her. Having experienced assault and known many others who have too, this was a really emotional, tough read. I listened to the audiobook in Chanel's voice, and I had to make sure to take breaks and take care of myself. Loved it and love her.

Body Work by Melissa Febos

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4.0

Melissa Febos is brilliant. Her book made me want to write my life. She's bold, observant, and candid. I loved the chapter on language in sex scenes... Academics have long turned their nose up at using "crude" words when writing about sex. It's no surprise that this is usually an effort to suppress and constrain writers that don't identify as men. She shared fabulous, creative excerpts that use those words with such delight, sensuality, and finesse. A favorite quote from the book: "There is a conventional wisdom about memoir that claims a writer must have sufficient hindsight in order to write meaningfully about her past. This has not been my experience. All that has been required of me to write about something is this change of heart. A shift toward, or away, or perhaps a desire to return to some truer version of myself."

Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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fast-paced

3.25

A speedy love story. Clever premise. Not earth shattering, but lovely and satisfying.

Want Me: A Sex Writer's Journey into the Heart of Desire by Tracy Clark-Flory

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adventurous challenging emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.75

I adored Tracy Clark Flory's writing. Riveting and nuanced. Challenging. Gorgeous. A heartfelt wander into her experiences as a sexual being that were sometimes so relatable it hurt to read. A favorite quote from the book: "This was not about saggy boobs or body hair. It was about security, acceptance, and intimacy. It was about believing in my desires and desirability, my own feelings and livability. It was about escaping the opposition of wanting and being wanted, and having a fuller, fluctuating experience of both. It was about the strength of vulnerability and mutuality, rather than the insistent, restricted recital of control."

Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller

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challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

A dark and winding wander into the life and mind of ichthyologist David Starr Jordan intertwined with reflections from Lulu Miller's own life. I was entranced by Miller's writing. I ended up pretty deep in wonderings about philosophy, how science can be used for evil, and mortality. This book is a quick and fascinating dive into waters that are welcoming above and can feel murky and ominous once submerged.

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mariah_wika's reviews 71 reviews

mariah_wika's reviews
71 reviews