reviews and reflections
This is a space to assess the novels, short story collections, and poetry books
I’ve read, without the pressure of perception.
The Wilderness, by Angela Flournoy
eBook, Kobo
Borrowed 02/16/2026 from the NYPL via Libby
L’imprimerie
YellowSun Coffee
Ten Bells
The Bedford
laundromat
at work
on the train
02/16/2026 - xx
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The White Hot, by Quiara Alegría Hudes
Hardcover
Borrowed 02/12/2026 from DeKalb Library, Brooklyn
at home mostly
Sunrise Sunset
02/13/2026 - 02/25/2026
very good, but beyond me. any displeasure in reading was likely due to my reading too shallowly. i did love the voice, casual terms juxtaposed along poetic phrases. at times it went a little too deep into the author’s head, where i couldn’t grasp at anything to steady my footing. beyond disinterest in motherhood, i had no idea what this novel would be. it took a minute to realize the need to suspend my disbelief. i felt a little dirty reading this. and constantly impatient with april’s decisions. for some reason her stealing kamal’s car continued to bother me til the end. definitely would’ve had a more active-minded experience with this book had april been even slightly likable.
Going to Meet the Man, by James Baldwin
Paperback
Acquired 09/19/2023 at Split Rock Books in Cold Spring, NY
at home only
02/09/2026 - xx
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My Dark Vanessa, by Kate Elizabeth Russell
eBook, Kobo
Borrowed 01/31/2026 from the SPL via Libby
L’imprimerie
Sunrise Sunset
laundromat
Katan
at work
on the train
on the bus
02/01/2026 - 02/14/2026
excellent. and yet, after large sections of repetition and seemingly unnecessary details and waiting for something big, it lacked a sense of resolution. kind of lost me when he died so early in the book. not that that was a loss.
Tilt, by Emma Pattee
Hardcover
Acquired 03/2025
Otherppl Book Club
*replaced*
Paperback (stunning! gorgeous!)
Acquired 01/30/2026 from Ridgewood LFL
at home only
01/26/2026 - 02/08/2026
a real page-turner. in that can’t-look-away-from-a-car-crash type of way, because you were born and raised in the PNW and your parents still live there, so why on earth would you read, and enjoy, a book about The Big One? i’m not really sure, but i do love a book set in a place i’m familiar with. considering the plot of navigating a city wrecked by natural disaster, the sense of place could’ve been stronger. the setting is ripe for overstimulation and gawking and horror, yet it was never nerve-racking or visceral in the way i expected. half the book is flashbacks to an unfulfilling life, a feeling of paralysis that i can relate to. despite her inner turmoil and trying circumstance, it was difficult to sympathize with annie. i’m sure she was suffering from pregnancy discomfort and hormones, but as soon as she grabs the ikea employee in the first couple pages, i developed a dislike that was never able to resolve itself. with that said, i actually did enjoy this book. there’s some suspense, domestic strife, a new-to-me plot, apprehension toward motherhood, and of course the city of portland. also it shows how everything in your world can change instantly, even as the rest of the world continues on as scheduled. oh, bean <3
Heart the Lover, by Lily King
eBook, Kobo
Borrowed 01/26/2026 from the SPL via Libby
Sofia Gourmet
on the train
at work
01/26/2026 - 01/31/2026
engaging and easy with moments of sweetness and aching that require pause. imo the title is clunky until you uncover its origin - fun, even precious. while not perfect, it’s the kind of writing that appears to be effortless, hitting all the right notes, and some lines making you stop in recognition of the years it must’ve taken king to perfect her craft. this is an unsatisfying love story, that’s the point, yet i was hoping for more time with yash and jordan as a couple. although the ending had me holding back tears, the emotional impact could’ve been stronger if we’d gotten to spend more time with these two on good terms. i know that we can love people despite the ways they betray us, but as a reader i was so pissed over yash’s cowardice in leaving jordan and in hiding from sam. and my excitement over their relationship was dampened simply by their years of separation. was also hoping for more of casey/jordan’s life as a writer. then i remembered writers & lovers. regardless, i would gladly have read 100 more pages of this book.
Dominion, by Addie E. Citchens
eBook, Kobo
Borrowed 01/16/2026 from the SPL via Libby
Maison Premiere
L’imprimerie
laundromat
at work
on the train
01/16/2026 - 01/25/2026
i had no idea where this was headed, but i was enthusiastically along for the ride. the voice is engaging, familiar, clear. you really trust it. the small-town Black southern humor, tension, and judgement give this book so much life. and as the reader, there is plenty to judge. the fact that this man was more bothered by potentially being a little gay than having just killed a man OH MAN. absolute dog shit human, and yet the story revolves around him and it’s still such an enjoyable read. his mother is fabulous and i was overjoyed by her decision to abandon her privileged life to get away from these foolish men. there is a lot of ugly in this book, but a very satisfying read regardless. stunning balance of getting into characters minds and following a clear line through and out.
Parable of the Sower, by Octavia E. Butler
Paperback
Acquired 2019, NYC (maybe)
Book club with Tyler
at home only
09/08/2025 - 01/26/2026 (reread)
an obvious classic. this is such a readable book, it should be required reading. the writing is straight-forward and the content is bleak, but it is not without humor or tenderness. however, considering lauren’s hyperempathy, there could be much more emotion. but i guess that’s not what this book is about. thinking of the state of the world and its potential future, the closeness conceived by emotion could make this an uncomfortable read. thankfully, there is still enough distance between this world and ours that it is able to be entertaining. i longed for more connection to the rest of the group and consequentially to feel more for them at difficult points. admittedly i had no reaction to jill’s death. hopefully we can get to know these characters a little better in the sequel.
(as a reread, i hadn’t realized the whole first half takes place in the walled community, and i thought the land succumbing to fire as it does in the final pages went on longer; i remember being stressed about that. i also had no memory of her romance with bankole)
01/13/2026 - 01/14/2026
Hunchback, by Saou Ichikawa
Translated from Japanese, by Polly Barton
Paperback, ARC
Acquired 01/02/2026 at Strand Books, NYC
on the train
this cover is so charming. i love the paintbrush strokes and the gentle colors, the millennial pink. i wanted to read this so bad because the cover said: there is art in here. the premise deterred me as i feared the woman’s situation of living life as a disabled person would be what the book stood on. i am happy to read about relentless mucus buildup, or almost literally chocking to death on cum, but the book failed to prove it was written to do more than “shock the masses!” with that said, this book did not have as much sex as i expected. i wouldn’t have minded more of shaka’s writing on her WordPress on her iPad mini. her abortion mission was definitely my kind of humor. the ending won me over on this book. i can’t say i would ever recommend this to anyone, but it’s smart, and i didn’t NOT like it. if this book were longer and had the chance to build on some of its background thoughts, i think i would’ve really enjoyed it. but this is the way it was chosen to be published.
01/02/2026 - 01/12/2026
i read the majority of this book about hospitality on a week off from making money in the hospitality industry. i read be my guest as a guest in bars & restaurants around the city. notably: The Up & Up, Claud, Fellini Coffee. for a little book, it was like entering a deep cozy box. i suppose food writing will always do that for me. but also the writing is generous in its vulnerability and compassion. as with most non-fiction, the repetition gets to me when driving at certain points. i know this is inherent to non-fiction, and that’s probably why i don’t read much of it. but i need to remember it is, as with this book, worthwhile.
Be My Guest, by Priya Basil
Paperback, ARC
Acquired 05/03/2025 at Strand Books, NYC
Velvette Coffee
The Standard
Otis
Fellini Coffee
The Up & Up
Claud
on the train