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whatsmomreading's reviews
88 reviews
Running in Slippers by Angie Hawkins, Angie Hawkins
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Angie Hawkins’ life takes a nose dive when, shortly after getting dumped by her on-and-off boyfriend, her father suddenly passes. Her relationship with her father was far from perfect and in her adult life the effort for the relationship largely rested on Hawkins. With her mother also looming over her with judgements instead of encouragement, things for Angie start looking bleak. That is until she starts to invest in herself & well being and takes the biggest bet on herself to achieve her dream - moving to Hawai’i on her own.
There was something so special about reading a memoir written by someone I’ve been able to meet & taken a workshop from! I saw so much of myself in Hawkins’ people pleasing ways and inability to call herself a writer, something I’m still working through today. I really feel like she just cut a bit of her heart out and laid it all out for us to read along and that takes so much bravery. I was shaking my head and internally yelling at people (looking at you Ozzy! 👀) while reading along and laughing at some of her hilarious adventures, while also tearing up at some of the beautiful insights she would share after some terrible encounters.
I cannot stress enough how much I admire Angie’s storytelling & willingness to be so so vulnerable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt
Mouth: Stories by Puloma Ghosh
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Thank you NetGalley & AstraHouse Books for this eARC copy.
Mouth is a collection of 11 short stories featuring dystopian, sci-fi elements along with queer exploration & horror that leaves you hungry for more. Puloma Ghosh creates these small worlds where young women engage in their every dark desire, we meet a man haunted by his dead ex, couples traveling through rips in time and werewolves seeking out mothers.
Mouth is a collection of 11 short stories featuring dystopian, sci-fi elements along with queer exploration & horror that leaves you hungry for more. Puloma Ghosh creates these small worlds where young women engage in their every dark desire, we meet a man haunted by his dead ex, couples traveling through rips in time and werewolves seeking out mothers.
Each story is such a unique experience and there were moments that truly shocked me but I was mesmerized from the start. Ghosh’s writing style has this gentle lull but underneath is a darkness I absolutely enjoyed exploring.
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
Jeanette McCurdy recounts her life from her earliest memories auditioning for roles and undergoing at home beauty treatments implemented by her mother to her years in iCarly and beyond. Her relationship with her mother is on a constant edge, with McCurdy never wanting to disappoint while her mother lives through her daughter to achieve her goals of fame and fortune.
This was such a devastating and important read, especially with more stories coming out from former child actors about the abuses they endured while working. Jennette McCurdy has an incredible voice and true talent for writing, somehow she manages to maintain a sense of humor throughout her storytelling.
I found myself thinking about how someone could be suffering from this abuse in plain sight with so many agents, producers etc. surrounding them and yet no one noticed a thing. Then on a much smaller scale, we now have so many families attempting to reach for fame and exploiting their own children online through social media and there is no one around to monitor that! My heart breaks for McCurdy and anyone who falls victim to race for fame.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, and Addiction
Butter: A Novel of Food and Murder by Asako Yuzuki
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
We meet journalist Rika Machida at a crossroads in her life; her best friend, Reiko, is now married & wanting to plan for a family and Rika’s own career could start to take off if she can only get up there with her male colleagues. Using some advice from her friend, Rika manages to get an interview with Manako Kajii, a woman accused of murdering her 3 lovers despite there being no physical evidence linking her to their deaths. The case has stirred up age old misogyny in the Japanese media, with critiques focusing on Kajii’s weight and her love for finer foods. Rika begins a relationship with Kajii that begins to slowly consume her and those around her.
I went into this novel expecting it to focus more on the crimes Kajii committed but instead found myself deeply immersed in Rika’s world & observations of the gender roles still very much prevalent in modern day Japan. My in-laws are from Okinawa, Japan and after living with them for a year I felt like I had understood the expectations of being a homemaker but I didn’t fully grasp how deep those expectations were still in modern day Japan. Some of Rika’s observations on the roles of homemakers were honestly refreshing as someone who has doubted being a stay at home mom!
As we are slowly drawn deeper in Kajii’s world I was still unsure as to who was in the right or wrong throughout this novel but I found the ending to be a great source of comfort for everyone. And don’t even get me start on the writing about the FOOD! I was left feeling hungry every time they described eating something.
Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you NetGalley & Penguin Randomhouse for this ARC.
We meet the three blue sisters, Avery, Bonnie & Lucky, on the one year anniversary of the passing of their sister Nicky. They’ve spent the last year in a fog of grief, individually trying to understand their sister’s passing and blaming themselves for not helping Nicky when she needed them most. When the sister’s mother coldly emails them about the impending sale of their childhood home, they are forced to come together and face their grief together.
We meet the three blue sisters, Avery, Bonnie & Lucky, on the one year anniversary of the passing of their sister Nicky. They’ve spent the last year in a fog of grief, individually trying to understand their sister’s passing and blaming themselves for not helping Nicky when she needed them most. When the sister’s mother coldly emails them about the impending sale of their childhood home, they are forced to come together and face their grief together.
Like most I enjoyed Cleopatra & Frankenstein, not so much for the story line but for Coco Mellors writing. She has this ability to drag you into a characters thoughts and feelings so that you understand their complexity deeply. Once I read the premise of Blue Sisters I knew this would be the novel for me. Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different sister, allowing you to step into their lives and see them as a whole, past and present. I felt deeply for the oldest sister Avery as a fellow Eldest Daughter and in some ways it was so emotional to be seen in such a way! The guilt you feel as a parentified Eldest Daughter is unlike any other and I felt Mellors did a beautiful job exploring that role we are forced into in life. I think Mellors did an excellent job exploring grief, substance abuse and sobriety that left me cheering for each of the Blue sisters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Alcoholism
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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
4.0
Natsuki has always felt like the odd one out within her family and finds comfort in telling herself that she is in fact from another planet, waiting for her real family to come collect her. She waits for summers spent at her grandmothers house where her cousin Yuu shares in these same beliefs and they wait together to be rescued. Pressures to grow up, marry, have children fall upon Natsuki as she grows and we slowly watch her unravel.
I truly had no idea what to expect heading into this book and it really took me for a ride! After about 40/50 pages I knew I needed to see where it went so I finished it in one sitting. Without giving too much away, we really see how the mental/physical abuse Natsuki faces at home and the abuse she endures at school plays a role in her receding from society. Her attempts to play along are questioned by those around her and the pressure never ends. I felt like this was such an interesting portrayal of the roles we’re expecting to fulfill in society and what happens if we decide to go against the norm.
I truly had no idea what to expect heading into this book and it really took me for a ride! After about 40/50 pages I knew I needed to see where it went so I finished it in one sitting. Without giving too much away, we really see how the mental/physical abuse Natsuki faces at home and the abuse she endures at school plays a role in her receding from society. Her attempts to play along are questioned by those around her and the pressure never ends. I felt like this was such an interesting portrayal of the roles we’re expecting to fulfill in society and what happens if we decide to go against the norm.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest and Rape
The English Wife by Lauren Willig
4.0
Mystery, secret identifies and even darker secrets haunt a lovely couple who are just beginning their lives together. While at times it was hard to follow along the characters and remember who knew what, this novel was an excellent read.
The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
4.0
Read this one before it pops up on your Netflix!
I was a bit frustrated in the beginning because it felt it took too long to set up the characters and plot, but once things got moving along it was a fun ride!
I was a bit frustrated in the beginning because it felt it took too long to set up the characters and plot, but once things got moving along it was a fun ride!