SO MANY FEELINGS. One of the better books I’ve read this year. The characters, the internal battle of “right vs wrong”, desire vs “shoulds”, all of thSO MANY FEELINGS. One of the better books I’ve read this year. The characters, the internal battle of “right vs wrong”, desire vs “shoulds”, all of the dichotomy of human life. Gave a lot of insight into the mind processes of choice and love and the fear of “difference” in a world that seems to value heterosexual relationships. I wanted to nudge the characters and tell them it’s okay to choose what they want over what they feel they should. Also just the sexual tension and energy and French drinking was a time and a half. Will be thinking of the lines in this book for a while
QOTB: “People can't, unhappily, invent their mooring posts, their lovers and their friends, anymore than they can invent their parents. Life gives these and also takes them away and the great difficulty is to say Yes to life.”...more
Super hyped up book so felt a little unsure of my own personal views of it. Thought the video game aspect was different and cool but a little drawn ouSuper hyped up book so felt a little unsure of my own personal views of it. Thought the video game aspect was different and cool but a little drawn out at times. The book could’ve been 100 pages shorter imo BUT fantastic character development and I felt like I grew up with Sam and Sadie. Never really thought of the concept of losing yourself in gaming the way people leave their own lives behind in reading. Hot take I didn’t like Sadie oops ...more
Loved starting my day off w/ these lil tid bits. Felt like I got a peak into someone’s mind and musing on all things God, life, forgiveness, etc. LotsLoved starting my day off w/ these lil tid bits. Felt like I got a peak into someone’s mind and musing on all things God, life, forgiveness, etc. Lots of underlining and exclamation points added into the margins (sorry Austin). People are magical with words and I’m thankful that others can put words to our own thoughts/feelings
QOTB: “God does not die on the day we cease to believe in a personal deity, but we did on the day when our lives cease to be illuminated by the steady radiance, renewed daily, of a wonder, the source of which is beyond all reason.” ...more
Such a sweet little read and it made me want to sit across from Tutu and hear his stories of folk following God and life in South Africa and seeing hoSuch a sweet little read and it made me want to sit across from Tutu and hear his stories of folk following God and life in South Africa and seeing hope in suffering. Very pure and sweet sentiments addressed to children of God and the world as it is and faith as it could be. Also God as non gendered>>> ...more
I went straight to Google for summary reviews after this book to help shed some light and honestly still confused. Not sure if I should’ve read MorrisI went straight to Google for summary reviews after this book to help shed some light and honestly still confused. Not sure if I should’ve read Morrisons previous books before this one and maybe that would’ve helped. Just an odd plot line and felt like there was going to be a huge reveal but nothing really stuck or tracked with me. Waaaay too many perspectives and character tie ins and name changes and just an overall eerie book. Not sure the themes other than a perspective or women and religion and personal struggles idk dawg I also watched a lot of Love Island in between so it was just hard to get into...more
First 5er in a hot minute. This book hit all the topics-friendship that looks like sisterhood, choosing love or staying in the confines of religion/faFirst 5er in a hot minute. This book hit all the topics-friendship that looks like sisterhood, choosing love or staying in the confines of religion/family expectations, following the “right” path, relationships and such good characters coming to life. Also very interesting to take deeper dives into the perspective of Muslim/Islamic culture and the family dynamics and religious expectations. Reminded me of the power of women who buoy each other ...more
Another one where it wasn’t the book, it was just me. I kept reading like 3 pages a night and just wanting it to be over with tbh because I felt like Another one where it wasn’t the book, it was just me. I kept reading like 3 pages a night and just wanting it to be over with tbh because I felt like I was drawing it out. Really did love the characters and family dynamic of siblings once I hunkered down. Also though the ending was just so random I feel like it went a murder vibe route and then just was so casual ...more
An absolutely bonkers book. For a human that has a hard time sleeping this lil book only gave me more anxiety towards needing to sleep more. Honestly An absolutely bonkers book. For a human that has a hard time sleeping this lil book only gave me more anxiety towards needing to sleep more. Honestly the umbrage I have with this is that they spend the whole time explaining how lack of sleep will give you cancer, Alzheimer’s, mental health doings, etc etc the list kept going and then they spent legitimately TWO pages giving you tips on how to sleep. Lots and lots of fascinating facts about circadian rhythm’s, how much certain animals sleep, and other tid bits that I would blurt out to Austin every 5 min. All in all, sleep is important amen ...more
For sure cheesy parts from time to time, but overall good story. All about loss, hardship, racism and the faulty security of the American dream. EnjoyFor sure cheesy parts from time to time, but overall good story. All about loss, hardship, racism and the faulty security of the American dream. Enjoyed the perspective of family lost and family chosen as the characters fought for each other. ...more
Let me just preface by saying user error bc I audiobooked this on 2x speed and got distracted and generally forgot massive parts of this book. WOOPS! Let me just preface by saying user error bc I audiobooked this on 2x speed and got distracted and generally forgot massive parts of this book. WOOPS! Therefore I just spent an hour reading extensive summaries to try to fill in the gaps. I will say this book was just one big cliff hanger and the introduction of new perspectives was confusing so those are my takes and I’ll read the next one okay ...more
Lil honeymoon one day read. Quite literally 13-Going on Thirty meets About Time- feel like it demoted a ton of stars bc it was so predictable. Easy toLil honeymoon one day read. Quite literally 13-Going on Thirty meets About Time- feel like it demoted a ton of stars bc it was so predictable. Easy to skim through but not life changing ...more
I truly feel like I need to sparksnotes this after reading all 700 pages. Found myself saying “what” out loud a lot??? This lil number got demoted to I truly feel like I need to sparksnotes this after reading all 700 pages. Found myself saying “what” out loud a lot??? This lil number got demoted to two bc it’s broken up in three different books and the final book just made no sense to me. I kept churning through to see if there would be ties or connections and got no answers. Basically three different books from the past, present and future and they legit all use the same character names but never clarify if it’s different characters??? Definitely made me want to keep reading to find answers but everything felt unclear meh ...more
Honestly the first book in a hot minute that I wanted to cancel plans for to read it. Intriguing but not just in a thriller way, complex characters anHonestly the first book in a hot minute that I wanted to cancel plans for to read it. Intriguing but not just in a thriller way, complex characters and sauce boss saucey at times. Lots of webs being woven and marriage, grief, betrayal, family dynamics etc ...more
Truly a work of art these words are. It took everything to pace myself and not read it all on one plane ride. I think this is a book I would want to rTruly a work of art these words are. It took everything to pace myself and not read it all on one plane ride. I think this is a book I would want to re-read month after month after month. Talk about the power of WORDS. From dignity, to belonging, to lament, rage and liberation- each chapter did its work to reclaim these ideas. Cole made it a point to dive into contemplation and Christianity while undoing the whiteness that has crept in.
“I used to think that Christian contemplation was reserved for white men who leave copies of CS Lewis letters strewn about and know a great deal about coffee and beard oils. If this is you, there is room for you here. But I am interested in reclaiming a contemplation that is not exclusive to whiteness, intellectualism, ableism, or mere hobby. And as a Black woman, I am disinterested in any call to spirituality that divorced my mind from my body, voice or peoples. To suggest a form of faith that tells me to sit down and be quite? That doesn’t sit well with me.”
Okay I literally wrote down pages of quotes bc it wasn’t mine and had to borrow and couldn’t underline. Talk to me about the belonging chapter bc lots of good tid bits on community and how some people gatekeep and toss friendship ...more
Mrs Phares if you’re reading this review I’m sorry but I got a wee bit lost in a majority of the pages and then the ones I tracked with were magical. Mrs Phares if you’re reading this review I’m sorry but I got a wee bit lost in a majority of the pages and then the ones I tracked with were magical. 3 stars but will put heavy emphasis on reader error aka me bc at one point I was too confused and just pushed through. This author had to be on shrooms when writing bc so many intricate stories webbed into one: different characters types, different time stamps of centuries and different goals/problems. Felt like it was Zenon meets Interstellar meets Nun Version of Pirates of the Carribean meets Beauty in the Beast meets Degrassi (literally if you’ve read this you’re probs thinking we read diff books). All in all a cool book with the push of good preservation of words/books
QOTB: “Why is it so hard to transcend the identities assigned to us when we were young?”...more
Okay I picked this up and finished it in just about one setting or so and had high hopes bc the ppl have been raving about this one. Giving it 2 starsOkay I picked this up and finished it in just about one setting or so and had high hopes bc the ppl have been raving about this one. Giving it 2 stars not because it was terrible but it really didn’t do it for me. Light hearted, rom, pop star, Hallmark movie feel. I just wasn’t really captured by the characters but hey it read easy by the pool so...more
Death begets death begets death. DAAAAAMN this one really turned it around for me- literally two days ago I was telling Austin I was gonna give it a 2Death begets death begets death. DAAAAAMN this one really turned it around for me- literally two days ago I was telling Austin I was gonna give it a 2 star and then boom. Let me preface by saying I started the third book on audio driving to Indy and I simply would get distracted and lose attention so a lot of it was user error. My beef w this series is that it’s legit the same thing in different books and is becoming a little drawn out (yet I’m coming back for more). I also finished this one with a massive sense of trust nobody bc all these characters are acting UP. I really did gasp at the twists and turns in this little number, didn’t see it coming and the ending made me weepy. What a ride ...more
Annie girl is a queen that’s for sure, but I find myself having a hard time tracking with her thoughts sometimes. I’m a lover of all things short storAnnie girl is a queen that’s for sure, but I find myself having a hard time tracking with her thoughts sometimes. I’m a lover of all things short stories and essays but some of these were hit or miss for me. Overall good tidbits on how she inches closer to God and how she’s dealt with life and loss and change and sobriety and family etc.
QOTB: “It is unearned love--the love that goes before, that greets us on the way. It's the help you receive when you have no bright ideas left, when you are empty and desperate and have discovered that your best thinking and most charming charm have failed you. Grace is the light or electricity or juice or breeze that takes you from that isolated place and puts you with others who are as startled and embarrassed and eventually grateful as you are to be there.” ...more
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