sarahbythebook's reviews
336 reviews

A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher

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dark funny mysterious tense

3.5

Better than Nettle&Bone, but I think T Kingfisher’s tendency towards quirky main characters just may not be for me
The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

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2.0

This book does not hold up well to time, and the movie is way better. 

Points for nostalgia though. 
Cat's People by Tanya Guerrero

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emotional hopeful lighthearted

5.0

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an a
e-arc of this book!

If you love cats and are looking for a heartwarming story, you can’t go wrong with Cat’s People!

As a lover of animals and a regular recipient of gifts from the cat distribution system, I feel like I know a good cat story when I read one, and this is far and away the best one I’ve found! Guerrero brings together such a fun group of characters, all struggling with something personal, who take time to be kind to a stray cat in New York. In return, that cat brings something they need to them— courage, love, bravery, and a family of sorts. 

If you love cats, explorations of the human condition, and slice of life stories, this book is for you. If you need the reminder that small gestures of kindness make a difference, this is for you. If you’ve ever received your own cat from the universe and counted yourself lucky, this is for you. The way Cat’s People is told reminds me of a lot of the translated Japanese fiction I’ve been reading— there’s just something comforting about these reads, and I love them. 

Wonderful read from beginning to end!
Love After the End: An Anthology of Two-Spirit & Indigiqueer Speculative Fiction by Joshua Whitehead

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4.5

#5 Andwanikadjigan (importance of power and storytelling) [5*]
#9 Eloise (hopeful, memory, bringing others into community, second chances; like the first, didn't feel very post-climate apochalypse) [4.5*]
#4 How to Survive the Apocalypse for Native Girls (what is Kinship, how is power abused, and making strangers kin) [4.5*]
#6 Story for a Bottle (another sweet and sad one; very similar to #4, but I cared more about the relationships in that one than this one) [4*]
#2 History of the New World (very timely & comforting in a dreadful sort of way; powerful portrayal of white allyship [not in a good way, but probably a realistic one]) [4*]
#7 Seed Children (this was fine, not my favorite, not my least favorite; reminded me a bit of Murderbot Diaries) [4*]
#3 The Ark of the Turtle's Back (kind of the opposite of #2; choosing to leave instead of stay; hopeful) [4*]
#8 Nameless (didn't really feel much of anything about this one) [3*]
#1 Abacus (I can't get past the fact that the AI lives in a rat; this was just weird) [2*]
Her First Palestinian by Saeed Teebi

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4.25

#7 Woodland (this story is the most beautiful and touching, even though the Palestinian character seems only a side note; idea of exodus and the difference in kinds between the two characters is stark) [5*]
#9 Enjoy Your Life, Capo (tied for my favorite; what do you do when you're facing two impossible choices? how far do your morals supersede your needs?) [5*]
#5 Ushanka (the most beautiful and the most sad so far in a way) [4.5*]
#2 Do Not Write About the King #2 (left a feeling of dread) [4.5*]
#6 At the Benefit (what is a "good refugee"; pain on display to beg for help) [4*]
#1 Her First Palestinian (somewhat confusing [I don't understand the fighting], but interesting look at allyship from the other side) [4*]
#4 The Body (no real thoughts on this one) [3*]
#8 The Reflected Sky (another one that really makes me dislike men, and I don't understand the ending; at least the woman in this one was real) [2*]
#3 Cynthia (this just makes me dislike men) [2*]