Week in Review: 3/15 – 3/21

Okay, I know this is way late, but everyone being home has really thrown off my schedule! I’m even falling behind in my reading challenges, which makes me very disappointed. Hopefully I can get back on track once online school starts up again. Anyway, here’s what I read last week! (I can’t believe it’s only been one week…)

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo – 3/15/20
5 stars
This book tells the individual and interlocking stories of 12 different characters, mainly black women, as they navigate the world. They all have different outlooks on race, gender, sexuality, and feminism, among other differences. The characters are of varying ages, so the differences reflect when and where they came from. I loved this book, as it is mainly about people on the margins in one way or another and the differences that arise even among people who are “on your side” so to speak. I plan to read this book again in the future, and would recommend highly. Content warning for rape.

Cut and Run by Ben Acker – 3/15/20
3 stars
This was a fun little story! A short listen about two friends who steal organs (for a good cause!) and the difficulties that ensue after one of the duo develops feelings for one of the unwilling donors. A weird, funny rom-com that is light and perfect for when you don’t want to think too hard.

Beezer by Brandon T. Snider – 3/10/20
3 stars
This is a middle grade-ish audio drama about Beelzebub, the teenage heir to the kingdom of Hell, coming to Earth and learning that there is good inside of him. It was as silly and Disney Channel-esque as it sounds, but I had a good time nonetheless.

Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple – 3/16/20
4 stars
I read this to fulfill the “book becoming a movie in 2019” prompt of the 2019 POPSUGAR challenge and, honestly, the blurb didn’t sell me, but I persevered and was pleasantly surprised. It is an epistolary novel, which is the word for a story told through letters / documents (I had to Google this.), and I am a big fan of the style. The story is about an eccentric mother named Bernadette who disappears before a family trip to Antarctica and her daughter Bee’s quest to find her. It was an absolute delight to read; it was funny and heartwarming, so. perfect movie fodder. A definite recommendation to my mom. (Let’s watch the movie together!)

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness – 3/16/20
4 stars
This is the first book in the Chaos Walking series and is also becoming a movie, though it won’t release until 2021. It is about a boy named Todd who has grown up on a newly colonized planet where every man can hear every other man and animals thoughts. In his town, there are no women left. It follows him as he flees his home, the Mayor and militia on his heels. This book honestly gave me anxiety! It also isn’t one of those introductions to a series that leaves off on a comfortable spot. I have many pressing questions that I will have to keep reading to find the answers to. I’ll get around to it when I can handle it!

Girls of Storm and Shadow by Natasha Ngan – 3/17/20
4 stars
This is the sequel to Girls of Paper and Fire which I read in February. Spoilers ahead for events from the first book! It continues the story of Lei and Wren as they try to gather an army to fight against the Demon King. Trouble and angst ensues. It is a harsh and emotional YA fantasy with good LGBTQ+ romance, so you know I had a good time with all the heart-wrenching. It has a cliffhanger ending, too, so I am anxiously awaiting the third book.

The Red Threads of Fortune by J.Y. Yang – 3/20/20
4 stars
This is the second book in the Tensorate series that I talked about in last week’s “Week in Review” post. Spoilers ahead, as usual for sequels. Mokoya and Akeha are grown up now and Akeha has situated himself in the middle of a rebellion against his mother. Mokoya is haunted by the loss of her daughter and has decided to hunt naga (big flying serpent-lizard animals) while she tries to work through her grief. Though it is mainly a monster hunt, I really liked the character development and the portrayal of grief here. As you can see, I immediately went to read the next book in the series.

The Descent of Monsters by J.Y. Yang – 3/21/20
5 stars
This is the aforementioned third Tensorate book. It is an epistolary and tells the story of an investigation into a tragedy at a Tensor research facility in which everyone who worked there was killed and only Akeha and the mysterious Rider (from the previous book) were found hiding in the caves under the lab. The investigator feels like there has to be something more happening than the Protectorate is letting on, and she is determined to find out. I love a mystery and maybe that’s why, but this has been my favorite of all the Tensorate books. The world that Yang has created is so immersive and I think that really shines through in this book. There is a fourth book that I am waiting for my library to have. We’ll see if I can be that patient…

Be sure to check my NEW! POPSUGAR Reading Challenge and 2020 Books posts for updates on how I’m doing on those fronts! Click below to subscribe and get email notifications for new posts!