genre: nonfiction I can't remember when I first stumbled upon @shabazsays but I was pretty quickly following his account for his clever commentary on the kinds of videos that social media is notorious for: the ones that are meant to make us feel "less than."  The ones where people show off their super fancy houses, their huge shoe collections and, most especially, the videos where we watch people spend inordinate amounts of time and money to make fancy ice. I love how he calls out nonsense when he sees it.  And the book is actually a really interesting look at the way that soc ..read more

genre: historical fiction Count Alexander Rostov knows that when the alternative to house arrest is death, it's the best, most gentlemanly thing to do, to accept your sentence with grace and aplomb.  And such begins his life confined to the posh halls and dining rooms of Moscow's Metropol hotel.  As the years go by and life races past, Count Alexander turns the Metropol into his wide world. The people he meets and the surprising antics he experiences makes this book an absolute delight. So many people told me I should read this before I actually did and I feel genuinely sad that I ..read more

genre: historical fiction Evelyn Hugo is one of those rare women who make it all the way to the top.  You know the ones, the ladies that the press reports on like their love life is actual news, that have more money than they could ever spend and the kind of celebrity that makes them an actual cultural phenomenon.  And when Monique, regular old Monique, is requested to meet with Evelyn for an exclusive story at the magazine when Monique works - it feels almost too good to be true.  But we soon find out that while Evelyn may be forthcoming about some things - she also knows exac ..read more

genre: contemporary fiction  I am not typically a short story person. It takes me a while, in general, to be invested in a book so I typically find short stories to never suck me in. This collection, however, was different. Each character, each setting, it got under my skin and made me care. Each point of view made me look at the world a little differently - the child being babysat by an Indian wife, the husband disconnected from his wife, the new husband whose quirky wife has immigrated and is driving him crazy, the cab driver whose command of English puts him in the unique position of ..read more

genre: magical realism romance Vanessa has a gift. Just from looking at the dregs of your teacup she can tell you something that will happen to you in the future. Of course, what she sees might not always be good and that's why Vanessa does not see this ability as a gift, for her it is definitely a curse. When her lack of control with this gift creates more chaos than she can handle, she knows she needs help. Her eclectic aunt is willing to try and help, but she is going to be spending the foreseeable future in Paris. So to Paris Vanessa must go. Yes, this is a squeaky clean romance novel. M ..read more

 genre: historical fictionSan Francisco is teeming with life in 1906. From Nob Hill to Chinatown, science and art, fashion and music - it can all be found if you have the money or the inclination.  For four young women, this city will either make or break their dreams - and it all boils down to one infamous morning. This book was the kind of historical fiction that focuses on the roles of women, which I appreciated.  We have a female scientist, an opera singer, an embroidery artist and a painter.  One of these women is Chinese-American and two of them are gay.  A ..read more

genre: non-fiction Unshrinking is the perfect title for this book - and I love the implications of this word.  Not only is it an acknowledgment that our, to quote Roxane Gay, "unruly bodies" have no requirement to shrink and take up less space, but it is also an unshrinking look at a huge societal issue that has far reaching impacts. To even TALK about Fatphobia feels subversive somehow, to acknowledge that the way our society treats fatness and people whose bodies don't fit whatever norm in our heads is to also admit that maybe OUR BODIES CAN BE OKAY THE WAY THAT THEY ARE.  Maybe i ..read more

genre: historical fiction Raised by her grandmother and great-aunt, Gigi knows she should be respectable. There are so many rules when one must be respectable - but Gigi’s free spirit can manage to both follow the rules and manage things in her own way. She knows herself and the limits of her life but it doesn’t stop her from dreaming. Being a courtesan does require a certain amount of decorum though - Gigi just has to decide that she cares and thus far she hasn’t! She’d rather play cards with the friendly Tonton, whose money and exploits make his friendship such a boon for Gigi and her famil ..read more

 genre: speculative fiction When the little brown boxes arrive one morning, no one in the world knows what they mean - only that every single human over the age of 22 has gotten one.  Inside those boxes?  Something that will be the key to knowing how long you will live.  And the world has no idea how to handle this information. I was hesitant to start this but it was recommended by more than one friend so I went in rather blind and ended up really enjoying this story of interconnected characters who have to rebuild their lives in a society that now knows the length of a li ..read more

 genre: contemporary mystery When Lana Farrar decides she needs to escape the London dreariness, she brings her friends with her for a weekend at her Greek island summer home.  As an ex-movie star, her Lana's friends are quirky creatures with secrets of their own and from the beginning of this tale, we know that one person doesn't leave that island alive.  What we don't know is who - or why. I jumped on this as soon as I heard it was coming out because I'd enjoyed The Silent Patient so much.  This one wasn't as smooth or enjoyable of a read, unfortunately.  The narrat ..read more