[REVIEW] The Moonstone Girls by Brooke Skipstone

February 3, 2022February 3, 2022 by louisereads ♥ 1 Comment

I really, REALLY wanted to love this book. Queer girls, 60s/70s culture, and a road trip to Alaska? Sign. me. up. It had everything going for it in the summary.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book at about 65%.

What I liked:

Obviously, I love the queer girl representation. This book actually made me reflect a lot about my own queerness and my gender presentation. I think there is a lot of value to a story that discusses issues of identity.
There were parts where I really did like Tracy’s character and her story, especially at the beginning where she is exploring her newly discovered identity.

What I really didn’t like:

There was a lot of very uncomfortable comparison between the oppression faced by queer people in the United States and the oppression faced by Black Americans. Tracy would casually say things that suggested she thought life was much easier for Black Americans at the time than for queer people. I’m not sure if this was supposed to be a commentary on white feminism where Tracy is able to confront and correct her past remarks, but I highly doubt this happens in the short amount of pages left from where I DNF’d. I just did not see why this comparison was necessary.
The dialogue felt incredibly stilted and awkward. Every time Tracy had a conversation with someone else, especially with people in her family, it felt so incredibly forced. I can’t picture anyone saying most of the things Tracy and her family say to each other.
The pacing also just seemed… off. It felt like things were happening so fast with no pause to really get the full impact of the events. I get that it’s supposed to seem like Tracy is telling the story from the present and is going through the events of her life, but it just really did not work for me.

I’m definitely in the minority with my feelings on this book. Maybe it just wasn’t for me, but I gave it two stars for the queer representation.

Thank you to NetGalley and Skipstone Publishing for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ★★

WWW Wednesday | 2-2-22

February 2, 2022February 2, 2022 by louisereads ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

This is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words that asks us to answer the three Ws:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently reading: The Moonstone Girls by Brooke Skipstone

For some reason, I don’t often find books that take place in the 60s-70s which really is tragic. When I saw this book had that setting and followed a queer girl, it was hard to turn down. I’m about 23% into this one, and I’m really enjoying the story so far, though the dialogue seems stilted at times. I’m looking forward to really getting into Tracy’s journey to Alaska. Hoping to finish this one up this week, for sure.

Recently finished: P.S. I Hate You by Sophie Ranald

This was a cute romance, but nothing to write home about. Getting ARC Romances from NetGalley can definitely be hit or miss. I prefer more smut and tension in my romances, but this is definitely solid for those who like less of that!

Reading next: Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerry Maniscalco

I originally started reading this one a few days ago, but put it on hold to read the ARC of The Moonstone Girls. What little I did read of it really captured my attention. I really loved the atmosphere. So, this one will be next. Along with the fact that I’ve had this checked out from the library for over two weeks now lol. Sorry for anyone waiting to read this after me!

What is everyone else reading on this snowy Wednesday?

January Wrap-Up

February 1, 2022February 2, 2022 by louisereads ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Books read this month: 12

Average rating: 4.25 stars

January was a good reading month for me. I went into 2022 wanting to really ramp up my reading habits for the year. Last year, I read a total of 76 books, a big increase from the 43 I read the year before. This year I want to go even bigger with my total if I can. So, January consisted of me trying to fit in time to read every day which I mostly succeeded at. Something that I’ve always wanted to make a good habit of is reading before bed so that I’m not on my phone right before I sleep.

My partner gave me a new Kindle for Christmas which I was over the moon about (my old one was from 2013). Reading on my Kindle has made it so much easier to read before bed while my partner sleeps and it motivates me to check more books out from the library through my Libby App, books I maybe would not have picked up at the bookstore for myself.

Now that my work and grad school have picked up again, my reading has slowed down. I still make sure to read before bed, even if it is just for a few minutes. I also have a few more shifts working at the library this semester, which gives me more time to read at the desk.

I feel good about my reading in January and hoping it sets a good precedent for February! 🙂

Favorite January reads:

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

So many people have raved about this romance, but I need to repeat what they’ve all been saying. This book is. SO. Good. Possibly one of my favorite romances of all time. Women in STEM and fake-dating trope are always a yes for me. So, so looking forward to Hazelwood’s next release!

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

I’ve been a little wary of Young Adult Fantasy recently, but this one was so much more than I could have ever expected. So many twists in the story and Shiori really took action–she was not a passive character in the least. This book had everything I need in a fantasy–good characters, brilliant plot, and a cute budding romance. Full review still to come on this one!

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

This is one of those epic tales I feel like everyone needs to experience. The story jumps back and forth in time from Marian, a pilot in the early 20th century, and Hadley, the girl who plays Marian in a new film. There is so much to this story that I can’t fully describe what it is or why it is so good. Mostly, I think it does an incredible job of capturing the human condition and life for queer women. It is a historical fiction novel, but Marian and Hadley’s lives really spoke to me. Definitely won’t forget this one for a while.

[REVIEW]: P.S. I Hate You by Sophie Ranald

January 30, 2022 by louisereads ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Release date: March 3, 2022

Abbie has been with Matt for twenty years. That’s 7,305 days, not that she’s counting.

Ever since Matt saved Abbie from a pigeon when they were seventeen, they were meant to be. But fast forward, and their happy ever after is light on the happy. Their sex life is officially extinct, Abbie’s lingerie is officially dusty, and Matt officially doesn’t know how to use the dishwasher.

Hoping it’s just a phase – aka the longest dry spell on record – it’s time to initiate Operation Memory Lane. Maybe they can spice things up by recreating their first date (Nando’s fixes everything), their first holiday (getting jiggy on the beach), and even their wedding.

But revisiting the past isn’t always plain sailing… Abbie didn’t bank on her secret coming to light – the one she’s kept for two decades. And she had no idea that Matt’s been hiding something from her too.

Can they get their spark back? Or is Operation Memory Lane a sure-fire way to blow up their marriage, leaving Abbie single, terrified to mingle, and with a drawer of dusty underwear for company? [Goodreads]

It’s typically hard for me to really get into stories about struggling marriages. I’m not married, and thinking about people who were once desperately in love and now aren’t just depresses me, usually. That being said, I am in a seven-year relationship (a long time for any 24-year-old). Though they were married 20 years, Abbie and Matt’s struggles were ones I could certainly relate to.

Ranald does an incredible job of showing what it takes, in my opinion, to make a relationship work. Abbie takes advice from friends to recreate some of her and Matt’s past thinking she can spark a connection. I absolutely love that this is not the solution Abbie thinks it will be. This novel was really a display of how putting work into your relationship is necessary for it to thrive, and Ranald is so smart for the way she portrays this.

I loved how normal Matt and Abbie are. So many novels will try to give you characters who proclaim themselves to be special or just different from anyone else in that world. Abbie and Matt are not those people—they could be anyone which makes them that more relatable.

I also really appreciate how Ranald handles the topic of infertility. Not everyone who goes through IVF will end up pregnant, and I think it is really great to have that representation for couples struggling with infertility.

I personally prefer romances with a little more tension between the two characters, but this this is a really solid romance with lots of emotion and value.

Rating: ★★★1/2

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookoutre for and e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Librarian’s Week in Review 1/29/22: Questions for the Curious

January 29, 2022 by louisereads ♥ 2 Comments

This week, I had a patron come to the desk looking for help with the printers. She started off by declaring her question as stupid and continued to apologize multiple times as I was helping her. I felt guilty. Was I not being welcoming enough? Did I look unapproachable at the desk? I don’t think this was it. She began our interaction apologetically.

How many times in the past have I been too afraid to ask question or apologized in advanced for sounding dumb? Most of my reference questions this week were directional–where is this building or how do I get to that classroom? I can’t say how happy I am when I receive a question, even one like these. I love that my patrons feel comfortable enough to walk up to a stranger and ask any question, big or small.

For me, and for many, it takes courage to ask for help. Saying out loud that you need help tells others you are vulnerable, that you are not fully self-reliant. There is a certain shame in doing this in our individualistic society which is why I love when people admit that they do need help, that they can’t meet all of their needs and need others in a community to aide them.

So, a question for the curious: how do you find the courage to ask for help? What can others do to make asking for help or asking questions seem less daunting? Librarians, what do you do to make your patrons more comfortable in seeking your services?

Books Read This Week