megtristao's reviews
1098 reviews

Recitatif by Toni Morrison

An excellent story. Morrison packs so much into her novels, and it was equally impressive to see how much she addressed in this short story. I will note that I would recommend reading the intro (by Zadie Smith) *after* reading the short story, if you're very spoiler-averse like me. I typically read intros of classics after the books because they give so much away, and reading the intro after this story was like having a mini-book club to review what I had just read. The story is so short, you could even read it again once you've had Smith's great insights.

Thanks to Libro.fm for a free audiobook copy of this book.

The Arrival by Shaun Tan

adventurous challenging hopeful reflective medium-paced

4.5

The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers

adventurous challenging emotional informative 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

5.0

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez

challenging emotional funny informative tense

I didn't know anything about this book when I picked it up other than it featured a Puerto Rican Brooklynite and was set during Hurricane Maria (which ended up being a much smaller part of the story than I expected). I don't even know what genre I expected this to be, but it read like political fiction meets family drama. I received a free ALC from Libro.fm, and the audiobook was surprisingly funny! The narrators were great at delivering snark at all the right moments, and I was solidly entertained (though I would NOT describe this novel as lighthearted). I typically only listen to specific genres on audiobook (mostly romance and memoirs), and I probably wouldn't have chosen to listen to the audiobook of this one if I knew what it was about, but I'm glad I did! Overall, I'm not really sure how to review this book. I enjoyed listening to it and it made me think a lot about Puerto Rico (which I'll admit I don't often do), so I'm glad I read it. Looking forward to the Nerdette book club discussion to see what others thought!

Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed: 15 Voices from the Latinx Diaspora by Ibi Zoboi, Natasha Díaz, Cristina Arreola, Meg Medina, Zakiya Jamal, Kahlil Haywood, Saraciea J. Fennell, Julian Randall, Naima Coster, Janel Martinez, Elizabeth Acevedo, Jasminne Mendez, Mark Oshiro, Ingrid Rojas Contreras, Lilliam Rivera

emotional reflective medium-paced

I liked that this contained so many voices from the diaspora, including many Afro-Latinx voices (not all of whom identify as Afro-Latinx; I found it interesting to see which terms people embraced or accepted or rejected and why). I found the essays to be quite uneven, which I guess is expected in most essay collections. Finally, I was a bit surprised to see this one categorized as YA. Perhaps because the authors wanted to speak to young adults who are exploring their identities? But I also think it's very relevant for adults. I hope this collection is appreciated by Latinx readers. 

What Storm, What Thunder by Myriam J.A. Chancy

challenging dark informative sad slow-paced

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

This novel is set during and in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Each chapter is written from the perspective of a different member of a large cast of overlapping characters, some with very intimate connections and others who are related more tangentially. The story is not told strictly chronologically, so I was glad I read this book in print so I could flip back and forth when I saw a nugget from a previous chapter show up again in someone else's story. As I'm sure you can imagine from the subject, this book contains various descriptions of trauma and is difficult to read in parts. I learned a lot about Haiti (not only the earthquake, but also its history), and I appreciated Chancy's attention to detail in the stories of so many different (fictional) people on the island. 

The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas

2.0

This was a bit too "slow burn" for my personal reading tastes, and it has perhaps the corniest dialogue I've ever heard in a romance novel, but it was an entertaining listen while working on a jigsaw puzzle. :)

(Also, though this book wasn't for me, I think it's so awesome that this author self-published at first and then became such a sensation. Good for her!)

This Is Ear Hustle: Unflinching Stories of Everyday Prison Life by Nigel Poor, Earlonne Woods

challenging informative reflective

I am a long-time listener of the Ear Hustle podcast, which certainly influenced my experience with this book. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy the audiobook as much as the podcast. Although the narration wasn't bad, the audiobook didn't capture the same life and emotion that comes across in the real-time interviews in the podcast. That being said, I did appreciate how the authors/hosts addressed some things I had always wondered about the podcast. Namely, I like the "slice-of-life" approach of the podcast, but I was often critical of how little they addressed systematic problems with mass incarceration. The audiobook does address how they decided to frame their podcast and why, which I appreciated. After writing this review, I can't tell if podcast listeners will enjoy this book more or less than non-listeners, but I recommend the podcast nonetheless.

Hang the Moon by Alexandria Bellefleur

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Cute romance set in Seattle. Nice little book tourism escape. I have some quibbles with this story but they are spoilers so ...

First, of all, Darcy is kind of a bitchy friend. Really? THAT was her reaction to Annie's big news? She could have been a little more supportive, and we had just learned they never see each other anyway! Sigh. Also, Annie definitely would have had TSA Precheck. Just saying.

Assembly by Natasha Brown

challenging reflective medium-paced

Very quick read featuring the thoughts of a Black woman in London as she prepares to attend her white boyfriend's parents' anniversary party. Lots of commentary about being a Black woman in work and dating, as well as in the U.K. generally (emphasis on effects of colonialism). Had more of a plot that I expected, TBH, but it was still mostly commentary. Quick read!