“contemporary texts aren’t ever as meaningful/artistic/etc as classics.” WRONG! Here are a few prime examples of beautiful modern writing: “All I can do is stand on the curb and say ‘Sorry about the blood in your mouth. I wish it was mine.’” - Richard Siken, Crush “They both know the looping shape of pain—it changes and quiets but never ends. There is a strange comfort in its constancy. Memories of what was lost are also reminders of what was held.” - Lily Brooks-Dalton, The Light Pirate “Cold came over me, but I was warm inside with guilt. The feeling nuzzled against me. It pressed against ..read more

this book will forever be one of my favorites. i’ve read it twice now and adore it with my whole being. it’s the kind of book you’ll read over and over, only to spot more intricate details. i cannot recommend it enough.  5/5 stars ..read more

i tried really hard to like these books, but they just weren’t it for me. the writing felt very generic, which really saddens me. i thought i would like these books because i used to follow the author’s instagram and enjoy their content, but i guess back then i accepted all poetry as something i should like. one star for all of them, i do not recommend them ..read more

This book was heartbreaking but so, so beautiful. Anyone whose mental health has struggled during the pandemic will likely related heavily to this collection. I cannot recommend these stunning poems enough. It’s also by a queer author ..read more

I really loved this book. Saiorse’s development, and her journey to accept change was really well done. I wasn’t a fan of how she only truly clung to one of her “rules,” much less how it was the rule that would alienate her from Ruby the most, but I still enjoyed the book. I liked the ending a lot, as it didn’t do the whole “true love always prevails” thing, and rather did the realistic thing. Overall, an amazing book. 5/5 stars ..read more

“Never Ever Getting Back Together” is everything I could have hoped it would be. I loved the conflict, and the inner turmoil of the two main characters. I liked that I got to see into the minds of both main characters with the alternating POVs, which I’m usually not a fan of. Most, if not all, of the characters were well-developed and enjoyable to read, whether you loved them or loved to hate them. Jordy was the absolute worst, and at times I had physical reactions to how much I despised him. I got so excited when things began to transpire between the main characters. I loved the fact that mos ..read more

Frankly, I have no idea how to write this review. I have so many thoughts about this book, and all of them are positive. Were there a few moments where a Gen Z reference was made, and it felt a little dated? Maybe once or twice. But otherwise, it was very difficult to find things to dislike about this book. This is a long one, so strap in. It was clear from the beginning that Casey McQuiston (CMQ) did their research. They clearly understand how Gen Z function. From the “monsterf***er” jokes to the fact that all of the queer kids grouped together and had a strong sense of justice. There were cu ..read more

eighteen years (book) - madisen kuhn / la coiffure (combing the hair) - edgar degas (1896) / empty bottles full of stories (book) - robert m. drake & r.h. sin / cruel summer - taylor swift / wilder girls (book) - rory power / strolling along the seashore - joaquín sorolla y bastida (1909) / cvs - winnteka bowling league ..read more

I am forever in love with this book. I put it down because of a months-long reading slump, and when I picked it back up, it was once again love, but this time at second-sight. This book has so many wonderful characters, and the plot is so compelling. There’s hispanic rep, fat rep, wlw rep, mlm rep, jewish rep, and probably more that I’m forgetting. This book is so inclusive without it feeling like the author just wanted to throw things in there for “diversity points”. The love story was beautiful, the mystery was perfectly suspenseful, and the relationships between characters were so realistic ..read more

When Leigh Bardugo wrote “‘I would come for you. And if I couldn’t walk, I’d crawl to you…’” and when Nina Varela wrote “But in the moment Ayla first touched her, Crier had learned what it felt like to be born.” and when Julia Drake wrote “Alone, they were good; together, they were art. I’d always wondered what that would be like— to be so in sync with someone, you create ..read more