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radhikag's reviews
66 reviews
Bodies Are Cool by Tyler Feder
Very sweet! Bodies are indeed cool and I love the disability rep and hairy rep and fat / not straight size rep like !! Ooh u gotta love it :’) I can’t remember any kids books I read w disabled people or at least not named as such but idk. Regardless! Happy this exists for the lil ones :)
The Midwife's Secret by Emily Gunnis
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The timelines were hard to follow in the beginning for me but at about the halfway point it really picks up and I was able to follow the threads more closely. I do feel it’s misnamed because we don’t really hear much about the actual midwife though she does set the events of the book into motion a bit but yeah idk this wasn’t what I was expecting or what was advertised I feel. There was a lot of jumping between timelines and characters who were different ages in the various timelines but again that got easier to follow at the end. Someone said they took a pic of the family tree for reference and I wish I’d done that.
Really picked up towards the end and revealed a lot of things quite fast. I appreciated the letter at the end, well written and powerful especially with the fall of Roe. Not something I’d recommend just because of length and again, it being hard to follow but I’m glad I finished because I was thinking about DNF-ing. I’d maybe recommend it if someone said they were into historical fiction and don’t mind jumping timelines and POVs
Really picked up towards the end and revealed a lot of things quite fast. I appreciated the letter at the end, well written and powerful especially with the fall of Roe. Not something I’d recommend just because of length and again, it being hard to follow but I’m glad I finished because I was thinking about DNF-ing. I’d maybe recommend it if someone said they were into historical fiction and don’t mind jumping timelines and POVs
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Abortion
Moderate: Child death, Emotional abuse, Death, Animal cruelty, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Sexual violence, Rape, Abandonment, Car accident, Sexism, Bullying, Suicide, Pregnancy, and Misogyny
Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune by Roselle Lim
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
I love Roselle Lim! And her debut is no different :’) I’ll admit, it took me a chapter or two to really get into the flow but once I did, I was invested! Let me start by saying I do NOT think this is the authors strongest work *AND* it’s still very good + in my mind speaks to her talent in that she’s only ever improved from her debut.
I found Natalie to be quite relatable in her stubbornness, I appreciated the magical realism that seems to be present in many of Lim’s stories, and I loved the details about food and the inclusion of each recipe. The neighbours are charming and make the story fun and it feels a bit like going to actual Chinatown.
For what I didn’t love — I do feel some of the prose around her grief got repetitive, the language of tiny crystals came up a lot and while that may have been a magical realism thing, I do wish there was just a bit more variety I guess? It just felt like I’d read it before in this book not too long before it came up again. I don’t think that the storyline with Daniel, her romantic interest, was unnecessary but the end did feel a bit fast — I would have liked it to be an opening or beginning of something rather than how it seemed to end but it wasn’t a huge bother. I do appreciate honestly that the love story was NOT a major focus because I think her story with her mother and grandmother and neighbours is far more compelling. I loved the backstory about her parents and that reveal felt sweet and well done!
I really enjoyed this story and want more Roselle Lim books! I would definitely give this one a chance and just let yourself be swept up in the story. And then check out Vanessa Yu & Sophie Go’s respective stories also by Roselle Lim!
I found Natalie to be quite relatable in her stubbornness, I appreciated the magical realism that seems to be present in many of Lim’s stories, and I loved the details about food and the inclusion of each recipe. The neighbours are charming and make the story fun and it feels a bit like going to actual Chinatown.
For what I didn’t love — I do feel some of the prose around her grief got repetitive, the language of tiny crystals came up a lot and while that may have been a magical realism thing, I do wish there was just a bit more variety I guess? It just felt like I’d read it before in this book not too long before it came up again. I don’t think that the storyline with Daniel, her romantic interest, was unnecessary but the end did feel a bit fast — I would have liked it to be an opening or beginning of something rather than how it seemed to end but it wasn’t a huge bother. I do appreciate honestly that the love story was NOT a major focus because I think her story with her mother and grandmother and neighbours is far more compelling. I loved the backstory about her parents and that reveal felt sweet and well done!
I really enjoyed this story and want more Roselle Lim books! I would definitely give this one a chance and just let yourself be swept up in the story. And then check out Vanessa Yu & Sophie Go’s respective stories also by Roselle Lim!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Death and Death of parent
Drunk on Love by Jasmine Guillory
hopeful
lighthearted
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
3.5
I love Jasmine Guillory! This is on me for starting this then leaving it at home while I was at school then losing it during my move before I finally found it n finished the last 30% in the last few days 😅
I loved Margot and Luke and their dynamic — I appreciated Margot’s whole dynamic n need to prove herself to her brother, that felt very true of sibling and family relationships lol and the love story was fun! Sydney is prob my fave side character, I’d love to read her story! Or one about her and Margot just as best friends lol like more of that story! Some day perhaps!
TW: it does take place largely at a winery (Margot co owns it w her brother, Luke begins working there which is how they formally meet) so if you’re not down to read about wine n people drinking (mostly pleasant, there’s one drunk party guest but that’s mostly it) then maybe skip this one. <3
I loved Margot and Luke and their dynamic — I appreciated Margot’s whole dynamic n need to prove herself to her brother, that felt very true of sibling and family relationships lol and the love story was fun! Sydney is prob my fave side character, I’d love to read her story! Or one about her and Margot just as best friends lol like more of that story! Some day perhaps!
TW: it does take place largely at a winery (Margot co owns it w her brother, Luke begins working there which is how they formally meet) so if you’re not down to read about wine n people drinking (mostly pleasant, there’s one drunk party guest but that’s mostly it) then maybe skip this one. <3
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol
Just Haven't Met You Yet by Sophie Cousens
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
A really sweet and touching story. I think I’m only not giving it 5 stars because I’m trying to be discerning and The Good Part (also by Sophie Cousens) made me feel awake and alive and like I want to live!! This book was sweet and sentimental and special.
My own parents met in Jersey and also have aless than ideal love story as we learn about Laura’s own parents . So it was sweet and I imagine someone who grew up in or knows Jersey would extra enjoy it for all the details, kinda how I felt with SF in Malinda Lo’s books. Anyways I’m going on a tangent so let me say this:
Laura is a hopeless romantic but also seems to just be unlucky in love. Her parents have both passed but she holds onto their love story as the ideal and proof of what can happen when we let ourselves be romantic. She convinces her boss to let her go to Jersey, where her parents met to track down details from both their story and her father’s grandparents: both couples (Laura’s parents & her paternal great grandparents) have a connection to a coin from Jersey, that was split then reunited and split again and that Laura now carries with her daily, as one of the many tokens of her parents love story. What should be an idyllic weekend goes south very quickly when she realizes she’s picked up the wrong bag from the airport. A closer look, however, reveals the mystery owner of this suitcase might be her soulmate. They have the same taste in books, in music, and their mothers even like the same perfume!
What follows is a hectic weekend: Laura trying to balance her demanding boss and making sense of her own family history all while trying to track down her mystery man. With a cast full of characters from her cabdriver turned tour guide, Ted, his father Gerry, and their neighbors Sandy and Illido, Laura’s weekend getaway turns into something far deeper: a lesson on memory, loss, and that we get to write our own stories.
Very sweet, I cried but I always do! Would prob read this again esp if was with a friend in a buddy read! Esp if they were from Jersey :D
My own parents met in Jersey and also have a
Laura is a hopeless romantic but also seems to just be unlucky in love. Her parents have both passed but she holds onto their love story as the ideal and proof of what can happen when we let ourselves be romantic. She convinces her boss to let her go to Jersey, where her parents met to track down details from both their story and her father’s grandparents: both couples (Laura’s parents & her paternal great grandparents) have a connection to a coin from Jersey, that was split then reunited and split again and that Laura now carries with her daily, as one of the many tokens of her parents love story. What should be an idyllic weekend goes south very quickly when she realizes she’s picked up the wrong bag from the airport. A closer look, however, reveals the mystery owner of this suitcase might be her soulmate. They have the same taste in books, in music, and their mothers even like the same perfume!
What follows is a hectic weekend: Laura trying to balance her demanding boss and making sense of her own family history all while trying to track down her mystery man. With a cast full of characters from her cabdriver turned tour guide, Ted, his father Gerry, and their neighbors Sandy and Illido, Laura’s weekend getaway turns into something far deeper: a lesson on memory, loss, and that we get to write our own stories.
Very sweet, I cried but I always do! Would prob read this again esp if was with a friend in a buddy read! Esp if they were from Jersey :D
Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Lovely book & great guide! I know I’m biased probably as a queer person and WGS student but I say 4 stars because this is very much an intro. I would have loved a small list of resources for further learning or even maybe referencing where n how these dimensions of power named in the book came about for Alok. It reminded me of some of what’s spoken about in Suarez’s The Power Manual. Again this is an intro and does that — I just hope folks take it upon themselves to dig further / deeper!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia and Homophobia
A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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? No
5.0
My heart feels so tender and pure. I love this book and I’m so happy it was my first read of the year. Love is so tender and sweet and soft n lasting!! I loved reading about Aria’s story, so much of it reminded me of i guess my first proper ~queer~ situationship and also made me ache for the how sweet it might have been to know n explore and presence this part of myself when i was younger, like Aria here or Lily in last night at the telegraph club.
I’m so happy these books exist, I can’t wait to re read them time and time again. I think everyone should read these but esp queer Bay Area people lol because it’s beautiful to see all the details I recognize and know about my home and city and just ugh!! Too good!
—
Some quotes I love:
"You can't worry about other people's feelings about what you're creating," Joan said. "That will suffocate you. You have to do what your heart desires."
I’m so happy these books exist, I can’t wait to re read them time and time again. I think everyone should read these but esp queer Bay Area people lol because it’s beautiful to see all the details I recognize and know about my home and city and just ugh!! Too good!
—
Some quotes I love:
"You can't worry about other people's feelings about what you're creating," Joan said. "That will suffocate you. You have to do what your heart desires."
Joan and Steph were so focused on their conversation, it was as if I wasn't even there.
"What if what your heart desires hurts someone else?" Steph asked.
"Sometimes you can't avoid that," Joan said, "because people have feelings, and other people's feelings aren't always congruent with ours. But here's the important thing when it comes to art. This is what I've learned: The art is greater than you and your feelings. You have to serve it. It is not you. Some people will never understand that, but you need to surround yourself with people who do understand it. And you need to understand it yourself. Whatever you're creating may come from within you and your life, but then —almost like a child, it comes out of your body and it grows up and walks away. It walks away and affects other people you don't know and have never met. That's the beauty of it, and the reason I keep trying new things.
You never know who it will affect."
(170)
“[Her] physical body may be gone now, but who she was is not gone. She was more than her body, just as we are all more than our bodies. She was connected with all of you. You influenced her, and she influenced you, and that influence continued.”
The urn was beautiful. It had a round belly and an elegantly curved neck and a perfectly fitted kid, and it had been glazed in some way that left brilliant sea green steaks and dark blue flecks on the surface. As if the sea had been burned into the clay.
My stomach was a hollow inside me.
“Everything [she] taught you goes on. The thoughts that arise in your mind when you think of her are still influenced by her.”
The hollow was growing. I would become a sinkhole.
Susan Douglas lot a candle on the altar. A thin trickle of smoke rose from the march. “Earth returning to earth, fire returning to fire, wind returning to wind, water returning to water.” (309)
“[Her] physical body may be gone now, but who she was is not gone. She was more than her body, just as we are all more than our bodies. She was connected with all of you. You influenced her, and she influenced you, and that influence continued.”
The urn was beautiful. It had a round belly and an elegantly curved neck and a perfectly fitted kid, and it had been glazed in some way that left brilliant sea green steaks and dark blue flecks on the surface. As if the sea had been burned into the clay.
My stomach was a hollow inside me.
“Everything [she] taught you goes on. The thoughts that arise in your mind when you think of her are still influenced by her.”
The hollow was growing. I would become a sinkhole.
Susan Douglas lot a candle on the altar. A thin trickle of smoke rose from the march. “Earth returning to earth, fire returning to fire, wind returning to wind, water returning to water.” (309)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Medical content, and Sexual content
Minor: Lesbophobia, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Outing, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Pandemic/Epidemic, Bullying, and Xenophobia
Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.
Went back to school and left this at home / couldn’t bring it. Will read properly some time when I’m at home!
The People We Hate at the Wedding by Grant Ginder
Did not finish book. Stopped at 33%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 33%.
I got this because I wanted to read / listen before I saw the movie. I also learned I have ADHD this year and have yet to start meds properly so maybe it’ll be different then but basically I’ve realized audio books are not for me. I tend to tune them out. Maybe if I got a hard copy! It I saw the movie and it was okay! I know the book is better so hopefully I’ll revisit some day but we’ll see.
The Good Part by Sophie Cousens
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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
I loved this book sooo much. When I finished i sent a message to the group chat saying “have u ever read a book that just like idk rly makes u want to stay n be alive” because this really did do that! I read it on NYE and I don’t have things figured out but that feels okay. This book made it feel okay!! As corny as it may sound.
I can’t wait to read this again and again. I love you Lucy Young! I’m so proud of you. <3
Everyone go read this, cry, then come back n let’s discuss.
I can’t wait to read this again and again. I love you Lucy Young! I’m so proud of you. <3
Everyone go read this, cry, then come back n let’s discuss.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death and Child death