megtristao's reviews
1098 reviews

The Fear of Too Much Justice: Race, Poverty, and the Persistence of Inequality in the Criminal Courts by Stephen Bright, James Kwak
Did not finish book. Stopped at 41%.

Great topic but the book was very data heavy and may have been more engaging (for me) if it had been structured a bit differently. Instead of talking about different aspects of the criminal justice system's failings and then drawing in the same people/cases to illustrate the different examples, telling the stories of the people together might have worked better. I kept mixing up which people were which cases and forgetting what we already knew about them because of the sheer amount of data. Great research, but I preferred listening to podcast interviews with the authors where they hit the highlights.

The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok

emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

Sadly, this one did not live up to expectations. I was really looking forward to this book, but I think it would have been stronger if it weren't framed as a thriller. I found the "thriller" aspects to be too predictable and distracted from what could have been a stronger novel about mother/daughter relationships, power and privilege. (And also, I thought those themes were described too explicitly toward the end of the book. Readers should be able to get there on their own.) But I recognize those are problems with what *I* wanted out of the book, so maybe you will feel differently!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a free advance copy of this book. 

The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai

emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

Cute, heartwarming book featuring a restaurant in Kyoto with a "detective service" to help people find and re-create long-lost dishes they loved in the past. Comparisons to Before the Coffee Gets Cold are apt, though I found Before to be better written. Overall, a fast read that would be great for a little armchair travel to Japan - but don't read this hungry! ;)

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free advance copy of this book.

Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo

emotional reflective 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

Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia

I really wanted to love this one - a Black lesbian amateur sleuth investigating a serial killer in 1920s Harlem? cool! - but it fell flat for me. Hopefully it works better for you! 

A Lie Someone Told You About Yourself by Peter Ho Davies

challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

This was a beautifully written book. However, I would love to read an abortion narrative that isn't centered around shame and regret. I understand the couple in this story terminated for medical reasons, and everyone can (and does) feel their own emotions about abortion, but I think the prevailing narrative that abortion is shameful and regretful isn't helping our national temperature about this issue. That being said, Davies is telling *one* story here, and he's allowed to do that, and he does it very well. The main character (a man) jokes/mentions several times about whether or not a man should be telling this story at all, which is another thing to consider. Also worth mentioning: This book is just as much (or even more so) about parenthood as it is about abortion. All this said, I really loved the following line toward the middle of the book:

"It's not really regret, you know. It's grief."

Overdue: Reckoning with the Public Library by Amanda Oliver

challenging informative

I struggled with this book. I don't disagree with what Amanda Oliver writes here--there are many issues with public libraries, and if you've never worked in a public library (or especially if you're thinking about going to library school), you would probably learn a lot from this book. However, many of the systemic problems in libraries (IMHO) come from being a field of predominantly white women (with mostly white men in leadership roles), so I don't know that I needed to read this book from a white woman. It would be great if publishers would share stories from those who are less represented in the library field who might offer a different perspective. Also, I don't remember finding out until chapter 8 or so that Oliver only worked at a public library for *9 months*. I'm not saying her experience isn't true or valid, but again, I just question the decision to elevate this voice for all public librarians. I have heard other urban public librarians say this book made them feel seen and that they appreciated it, so I can't necessarily recommend or not recommend this book. I just know I found it to be a bit cringey at times. 

The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell
Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.

 DNF @ 15 percent. I love a multigenerational saga, but so far I've only been reading about Italian and English colonizers (and I know they are likely written to be infuriating on purpose, but gosh are they infuriating), and I wanted to read about a Zambian family. I kept thinking, "Just a little more and we'll get there," but this is a long book and I think it's time to move on to something that will (hopefully) engage me more. 

I Came All This Way to Meet You: Writing Myself Home by Jami Attenberg

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.25

Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow

emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

4.75