skudiklier's reviews
630 reviews

Kid Gloves: Nine Months of Careful Chaos by Lucy Knisley

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.5

I just read this all in one sitting while nine weeks pregnant, and after having had a miscarriage a couple months ago. I cried a lot. A lot a lot. This book was beautiful and helpful and scary and I'm glad I read it. 

I would like to mention, as others have, that I do wish the author used less gendered language when talking about pregnant people and research on pregnancy. As a trans person, it doesn't feel great to read so much implying this only happens to women. But I know the author probably didn't mean it that was and it was just an oversight. I just wanted to mention it for the record, and so others have warning if they want to read this too. Personally I still loved this book, but I know it could be hard to read for other trans people. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

emotional funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

The Third Person by Emma Grove

challenging informative reflective

4.0

That therapist was really pissing me off. I almost DNF'd this a couple times but I'm glad I stuck with it. 

Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

I couldn't put this book down. I didn't really know what to expect given I've never read any of Dinan's other work, and to be honest the book's tagline (especially the "trad wife" bit) felt a bit clickbaity given how the story actually happened. But I'm so glad for that because I *loved* this book. The writing was amazing and had me hooked from the beginning, and engaged fully the whole time even with the changing timelines and perspectives. I was expecting a book about messy characters being irresponsible, but instead got a deeply thoughtful and hopeful story about forgiveness. Given the title, I was wondering who would be disappointing who, but it seems like it was everyone, all the time, in ways small and big. No character in this story is flawless, and I also didn't come away hating (almost?) any of them. They're all complicated and I love what the book has to say about change and forgiveness and sticking to our morals.

Thank you to Netgalley and The Dial Press for the chance to read and review this ARC. 

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

mysterious medium-paced

4.25

The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet by Lindz McLeod

4.5

I really enjoyed this! A nice romance that sticks pretty close to the original and still makes room for queerness. At a couple points the writing wasn't amazing, and felt a little like fanfiction (which I love, to be clear! I just have...lower standards for fanfic haha). But overall I really liked it!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Romance for the chance to read and review this ARC.

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

4.0

Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good by adrienne maree brown

4.25

Elphie by Gregory Maguire
Did not finish book. Stopped at 8%.

I'm sorry; I was really excited to read this, especially an ARC. I reread Wicked recently and liked it a lot, and was interested in continuing with the rest of the series. But Wicked was written thirty years ago, so I tried to give the author the benefit of the doubt. Surely if it had been written today, there wouldn't be all the racism and ableism. But I'm only a few chapters into Elphie and I just don't want to read it anymore. There's already enough questionable or concerning bits to the point where I'm worried I gave too much benefit of the doubt with the original book. I'm sure if I'd finished it I would have enjoyed a lot of it, and I'm sorry to not get more insight into her childhood and upbringing. But it was soured for me too early and I'm just not interested anymore.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for the chance to read and review this ARC. I really do mean that; this is the first ARC I've ever DNF'd.