#krystle zara appiah

[bloodmaarked]

➫ monthly book round-up: march 2024

books read: 6 [=] average rating: 3.1 [-14%] average speed: 10.5 days [+35%] total pages: 2,219 [+7%] yearly goal progress: 17/50 best of the month: a psalm of storms and silence, roseanne a. brown worst of the month: saving time: discovering a life beyond the clock, jenny odell

4.5* reads:

a psalm of storms and silence, roseanne a. brown

4* reads:

the murder at the vicarage, agatha christie

3* reads:

rootless, krystle zara appiah

2.5* reads:

pageboy: a memoir, elliot page

the human origins of beatrice porter & other essential ghosts, soraya palmer

2* reads:

saving time: discovering a life beyond the clock, jenny odell

currently reading:

the meaning of mariah carey, mariah carey

[haveyoureadthispoll]

On a Spring afternoon in London, Sam hops the stairs of his flat two at a time. There's �1,300 missing from his and his wife, Efe's, shared bank account and his calls are going straight to voicemail. When he finally reaches someone, he learns Efe is nearly 5,000 miles away as their toddler looks around and asks, "Where's Mummy?" When Efe and Sam met as teens headed for university, it seemed everyone knew they were meant to be. Efe, newly arrived in the UK from Ghana and sinking under the weight of her parents' expectations, found comfort in the focused and idealistic Sam. He was stable, working toward a law career, and had an unwavering vision for their future. A vision Efe, now a decade later, finds slightly insufferable. From the outside, they're the picture-perfect couple everyone imagined, but there are cracks in the frame. When Efe and Sam are faced with an unplanned pregnancy, they find themselves on opposing sides. Fatherhood is everything he has dreamed of, but Efe feels stuck in a nightmare. And when a new revelation emerges, they are forced to confront just how radically different they want their lives to be. Already swallowed by the demands of motherhood and feeling the dreams she had slipping away once again, Efe disappears.

[apinchofm]

Book Recs ✨

some books for you all to read and enjoy or cry over!

fiction - romance

honey and spice by bolu babalola

rosewater by liv little

the mismatch by sara jafari

non-fiction

hood feminism

feminism interrupted by lola olufemi

radical intimacy by sophie k rosa.

fiction - fantasy

her majesty's royal coven series by juno dawson

weyward by emilia hart

the first woman by jennifer makumbi

fiction - adult

normal people by sally rooney

the weight of blood

yellowface by r.f kuang

rootless by krystle zara appiah

fiction - ya

legendborn series by tracey deonn

ace of spades by faridah àbíké-íyímídé

these violet delights series by chloe gong

[memoriesfrombooks]

The "why" of Rootless by Krystle Zara Appiah covers a lot of ground - the immigrant experience, discrimination and prejudice, cultural expectations, parental expectations, gender expectations, and parenthood. Despite the shifting timelines, the empathy that develops for Efe could have resulted in an emotional story. Then comes the ending. My reaction... Really? Really? After all that, this is how it ends? Did I really read that entire book and begin to invest in it for this? 

Reviewed for NetGalley.

[thebackgroundmusic]

December 2023 Reading Log

The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger 

Did You Hear About Kitty Karr by Crystal Smith Paul

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

Girl in Snow by Danya Kukafka

Fairy Tale by Stephen King

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

Uncultured by Daniella Mestyanek Young

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai 

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Four Treasures of the Sky by Jenny Tinghui Zhang

Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica

The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton

Lightlark by Alex Aster

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Rootless by Krystle Zara Appiah

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

[leggy-freda]

We Chit Chat: Rootless by Krystle Zara Appiah

Taynement: Time for another Chit Chat! Leggy: This was entirely a coincidental Chit Chat. We just happened to be reading this book at the same time. How did you decide to pick this one up? Taynement: My sister-in-law is an avid reader and her review had me intrigued, so I added it to my TBR pile. Leggy: I picked this as my Book of the Month pick for March and just happened to finally pick it…

[musingsofmonica]

March 2023 Diverse Reads

March 2023 Diverse Reads

•”Above Ground” by Clint Smith — March 28, Little Brown and Company, Poetry

•”The Perfumist of Paris” by Alka Joshi — March 28, Mira Books, Historical

•”Dust Child” by Mai Phan Que Nguyen — March 14, Algonquin Books, Historical

•”Flux” by Jinwoo Chong — March 21, Melville House Publishing, Science Fiction 

•”Rootless” by Krystle Zara Appiah — March 7, Ballantine Books, Contemporary 

•”The Next New Syrian Girl” by Ream Shukairy — March 14, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, YA Contemporary 

•”Sea Change” by Gina Chung — March 28, Vintage, Literary

•”Ada's Room” by Sharon Dodua Otoo — March 28, Riverhead Books, Historical

•”Wandering Souls” by Cecile Pin — March 21, Henry Holt & Company, Historical 

•”Y/N” by Esther Yi — March 21, Astra House, Literary

•”The Great Reclamation” by Rachel Hen — March 28, Riverhead Books, Historical

•”Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers” by Jesse Q. Sutanto — March 14, Berkley Books, Mystery 

•”The Human Origins of Beatrice Porter and Other Essential Ghosts” by Soraya Palmer —March 28, Catapult, Magical Realism 

•”Too Soon for Adiós” by Annette Chavez Macias — March 21, Montlake, Contemporary 

•”Chlorine” by Jade Song — March 28, William Morrow & Company. Fantasy

•”There Goes the Neighborhood

Jade Adia — March 07, Disney-Hyperion, YA Contemporary 

•”Our Best Intentions” by Vibhuti Jain — March 14,  William Morrow & Company, Literary Thriller 

•“River Spirit” by Leila Aboulela — March 07, Grove Press, Historical

•”Birdgirl: Looking to the Skies in Search of a Better Future” by Mya-Rose Craig — March 28, Celadon Books, Memoir/Environmental/Natural

•”What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez” by Claire Jimenez — March 07, Grand Central Publishing, Literary 

[bloodmaarked]

rootless // krystle zara appiah

first published: 2023 read: 26 march 2024 – 30 march 2024 pages: 358 format: paperback

genres: fiction, adult, family (marriage, parenthood esp. motherhood), mental health (post-partum depression) favourite character(s): i can't lie, almost all the characters were fairly unlikeable. paa was okay least favourite character(s): see above

rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 thoughts: i happened to come across rootless in a post on instagram discussing books on motherhood; it then coincidentally ended up being my book club's pick for next month, so i decided to jump in and give it a go. it wasn't necessarily what i was expecting, but it wasn't an unpleasant read. it had me hovering around the 3.5* mark until we moved into the second half, where i slowly mentally bumped my rating up to a 4*. then the ending came, and i was so dumbfounded by the choice that was made that i dropped down to a 3*. i feel like it messed with my enjoyment of the book, and was a stark reminder of how important a book's ending is to the entire story.

it was a little too slow-paced for my liking, and while i was enjoying the story i was waiting for it to get to the point throughout almost all of part one (which was 50-60% of the book). it did pick up eventually, and i got more invested in the increasing tensions in the plot and between characters. the majority of the book is comprised of backstory to the "present moment" where we begin in chapter one, which itself precedes what is to come in about the last 10-20% of the book. i understand why the story was told in this way, but it just made the book feel slow-going and a long wait (over the narrative span of about 20 years) to get to the explosive place in which we started chapter one.

a lot of the characters, especially the two main characters, were difficult to like and to root for. efe and sam were both awful communicators, and while i could be sympathetic to them in a handful of ways, most of the time i felt they came across as selfish and immature. i think there are a lot of discussions to be had about parenthood and motherhood, the pressure some women face to become mothers, the way society tends to judge women who have chosen not to have children, and our sympathy towards women who struggle when they do have children, including our understanding of postpartum depression. but i just don't feel it was best discussed in this story or with these characters.

now, despite all this, i was finding myself interested as the plot progressed and intrigued as to how certain characters would reconcile and resolve their issues. but the way the author decided to end this book in the last three or four chapters, without any spoilers, was awful, ridiculous, and disappointing. i cannot for the life of me understand why that route was chosen, and by the time i closed the last page i was just pissed off. it ruined some of what i had been able to enjoy about the story's progression and each character's growth up until that point.

i do think this book has a lot of potential for book club discussions, so i am looking forward to seeing what other people have to say about it, but in general rootless was something of a disappointment.

[bloodmaarked]

☺︎ my year in books: 2024 RANKED! ☹︎

happy new year everyone! in 2024 i hit a personal record of finishing 84 books (surpassing my reading goal of 50!) and it is the first year i've kept a running ranking of every book i've read. to close out the year i wanted to reflect on my reading and share my ranking! all my books under the cut, with my original reviews linked, and my storygraph summary below (feel free to follow me!):

84. in every mirror she's black, lọlá ákínmádé-åkerström month read: december rating: 🌕🌑🌑🌑🌑 one-sentence review: bad writing, unearned trauma for its black women, and suggested the villain did what he did because of autism 🥴

83. black girls must die exhausted, jayne allen month read: may rating: 🌕🌗🌑🌑🌑 one-sentence review: the black girl who died exhausted was me reading this book.

82. saving time: discovering a life beyond the clock, jenny odell month read: march rating: 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑 one-sentence review: amazing subject matter, badly executed, and i've forgotten what this book wanted to say.

81. and so i roar, abi daré month read: may rating: 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑 one-sentence review: heartbreakingly disappointing given how amazing the first book was - read that instead!

80. the house of broken bricks, fiona williams month read: october rating: 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑 one-sentence review: forgettable.

79. where sleeping girls lie, faridah àbíké-íyímídé month read: january rating: 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑 one-sentence review: not awful but this didn't have anything on ace of spades that's for sure.

78. the dos and donuts of love, adiba jaigirdar month read: january rating: 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑 one-sentence review: cutesy and lighthearted, but juvenile and a little too surface level for the topics it wanted to discuss.

77. pageboy: a memoir month read: march rating: 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑 one-sentence review: great insight into one person's experience with being transgender, but at the same time i didn't come away feeling i knew elliot page that much better.

76. the first woman, jennifer nansubuga makumbi month read: june rating: 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑 one-sentence review: there's a very solid 20% of this book that makes me glad i read it, but the rest was utterly boring.

75. shanghailanders, juli min month read: april rating: 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑 one-sentence review: tbh i fully forgot i read this, mid.

74. the human origins of beatrice porter & other essential ghosts, soraya palmer month read: march rating: 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑 one-sentence review: has a name much cooler and more memorable than the book itself.

73. leave the world behind, rumaan alam month read: august rating: 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑 one-sentence review: this book just makes me unreasonably angry and is a worse experience than watching the movie which was also quite bad.

72. land of milk and honey, c pam zhang month read: november rating: 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑 one-sentence review: another book with a fantastic concept and terrible execution; r.f. kuang led me astray with this one 😭

71. the other black girl, zakiya dalila harris month read: july rating: 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑 one-sentence review: did not give the psychological race thriller/workplace satire it said it would give (and also the show is WORSE)

70. in search of the perfect peach: why flavour holds the answer to fixing our food system, franco fubini month read: august rating: 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑 one-sentence review: pretty much just a misdirected, long-winded advertisement for the author's company.

69. sorrowland, rivers solomon month read: may rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 one-sentence review: well-crafted horror scenes but aside from that it didn't do much for me, and i much preferred an unkindness of ghosts.

68. gleanings, neal shusterman month read: february rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 one-sentence review: we didn't really need this addition to the original arc of a scythe trilogy tbh.

67. the list, yomi adegoke month read: june rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 one-sentence review: i promise you the cover tells you all you need to know about what this book is like.

66. rootless, krystle zara appiah month read: march rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 one-sentence review: the ending of this book pisses me off to this day 😭😭

65. the power, naomi alderman month read: december rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 one-sentence review: an interesting speculative feminist premise but it needed tightening up a lot more; the end of men did it better (ranked higher this year!)

64. the muse, jessie burton month read: september rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 one-sentence review: forgettable and not very exciting.

63. the last family in england, matt haig month read: december rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 one-sentence review: the dog does die but the story wasn't emotionally engaging enough for me to care!

62. back to black: retelling black radicalism for the 21st century, kehinde andrews month read: november rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 one-sentence review: an interesting exploration of black radicalism, but maybe this was too much for me as a beginner?

61. four eids and a funeral, faridah àbíké-íyímídé + adiba jaigirdar month read: april rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 one-sentence review: lighthearted friends-to-enemies-to-lovers between two muslim characters, which i loved, but i hoped for a bit more.

60. the taking of jake livingston, ryan douglass month read: december rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 one-sentence review: some really cool, atmospheric horror, but jake was too bland to be the main character!

59. circe, madeline miller month read: june rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 one-sentence review: i don't think i saw what you all did; i don't think circe was an interesting enough character to base a full-length novel on!

58. she's in CTRL: how women can take back tech, anne-marie imafidon month read: may rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 one-sentence review: honestly a very solid book if you're looking to make your own way in the tech space/become more tech savvy!

57. flux, jinwoo chong month read: february rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 one-sentence review: as stylish and cool as its cover, but needed a little more focus overall.

56. the kinder poison, natalie mae month read: december rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 one-sentence review: absolutely on the more unique and refreshing side of ya fiction; i'm just a bit burned out from the genre.

55. minor detail, adania shibli month read: june rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 one-sentence review: a very insightful read about the Palestinian conflict, packing a punch in just over 100 pages.

54. the memoirs of sherlock holmes, arthur conan doyle month read: may rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 one-sentence review: not a bad addition to the series, but mixed in quality as short story collections tend to be.

53. brown girls, daphne palasi andreades month read: october rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 one-sentence review: i loved certain aspects, but it speaks to a new york-centric experience that i couldn't quite relate to.

52. dracula, bram stoker month read: july rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 one-sentence review: you know authors from back in the day liked to yap, but when this book is at its best, it's thrilling!

51. what you are looking for is in the library, michiko aoyama month read: july rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 one-sentence review: really cosy and comforting; i think i will enjoy this more on reread away from all the hype.

50. the sellout, paul beatty month read: july rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 one-sentence review: the outrageousness of this book was more than i bargained for, i wasn't prepared!

49. the vanishing half, brit bennett month read: august rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 one-sentence review: honestly very good; stella, who is mixed and chooses to pass as white, had a particularly great storyline.

48. family lore, elizabeth acevedo month read: august rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 one-sentence review: my least favourite of elizabeth acevedo's works, but i loved the exploration of female family dynamics.

47. the empress of salt and fortune, nghi vo month read: october rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 one-sentence review: i enjoyed escaping into this mystical world, which was very immersive in such a short space of time!

46. you and me on vacation, emily henry month read: september rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 one-sentence review: i'm not 100% sold on emily henry, and highkey i wish these characters had stayed friends 😭

45. autumn chills, agatha christie month read: november rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 one-sentence review: a fun and intriguing seasonal collection of short stories, and i already have the winter one lined up!

44. lord of the flies, william golding month read: october rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 one-sentence review: very engaging from a psychological perspective, but needed to lean into the thrill of the situation a little more!

43. solomon time: adventures in the south pacific, will randall month read: september rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 one-sentence review: a humorous yet insightful look into life on the solomon islands; i had a fun time.

42. when we were birds, ayanna lloyd banwo month read: february rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 one-sentence review: unexpectedly good; this was a pleasant surprise and very thought-provoking.

41. enola holmes and the elegant escapade, nancy springer month read: december rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 one-sentence review: not the best entry into the series, but this perked me up in the middle of a reading slump!

40. enola holmes and the black barouche, nancy springer month read: june rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 one-sentence review: there's not much to say other than i love enola and this series and i will always enjoy spending a day or two with her.

39. the toll, neal shusterman month read: january rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 one-sentence review: arc of a scythe was a really good series, and the toll was a satisfying and fitting conclusion.

38. the woman in me, britney spears month read: november rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 one-sentence review: love britney, can't support justin after this (i still stream justified on the dl though 🤫)

37. the meaning of mariah carey, mariah carey month read: april rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 one-sentence review: i still don't listen to her music, but this book endeared me towards mariah so much 🥺

36. this is my brain in love, i.w. gregorio month read: may rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 one-sentence review: while not all the writing landed, this was a mostly wholesome and sweet tale of two teens grappling with their mental health.

35. the cloisters, katy hays month read: november rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 one-sentence review: i really enjoyed my time spent at the cloisters for this highly atmospheric, dark academic, slow-burn mystery.

34. excuse me while i ugly cry, joya goffney month read: june rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 one-sentence review: a very sweet tale of growth and self-discovery; but not as good as one of her other books which is ranked a bit higher!

33. loud black girls, yomi adegoke + elizabeth uviebinené month read: june rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 one-sentence review: packed with powerful essays from self-proclaimed loud black girls!

32. kim jiyoung, born 1982, cho nam-joo month read: november rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 one-sentence review: a very moving exploration of what it’s like to be a woman in a world designed to stop you from flourishing

31. the lightning thief, rick riordan month read: november rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 one-sentence review: so fun and the perfect nostalgia hit!

30. the murder at the vicarage, agatha christie month read: march rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 one-sentence review: my first introduction to the world of agatha christie which made me understand why she's the queen of crime!

29. a song of wraiths and ruin, roseanne a. brown month read: february rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 one-sentence review: a fantastical journey based on african mythology; not overly unique but one of the better entries into the genre.

28. as long as the lemon trees grow, zoulfa katouh month read: september rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 one-sentence review: don't be fooled by the romance aspect; this is a very tender and honest look into life lived during the syrian civil war.

27. disorientation, elaine hsieh chou month read: october rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 one-sentence review: so fun, like a more sarcastic version of yellowface while the mc descends into madness!

26. the space between here & now, sarah suk month read: february rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 one-sentence review: speaks to the reality of living with a chronic condition in a heartwarming and comforting time-travel story.

25. adult children of emotionally immature parents, lindsay c. gibson month read: november rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 one-sentence review: if you need this book, you'll know, and if you do, it's a very enlightening and helpful guide.

24. a psalm of storms and silence, roseanne a. brown month read: march rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 one-sentence review: great character growth, an all-round improvement on book 1!

23. the gifts, liz hyder month read: april rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 one-sentence review: one of this year's unexpected gems. a dark, atmospheric, feminist historical fantasy!

22. empireland: how imperialism has shaped modern britain, sathnam sanghera month read: august rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 one-sentence review: a great, nuanced analysis of the British empire and how that has impacted and translated into the Britain we live in today.

21. the body in the library, agatha christie month read: september rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 one-sentence review: a bigger, better than the murder at the vicarage and i love the humour in the writing!

20. before the coffee gets cold, toshikazu kawaguchi month read: october rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 one-sentence review: warm, sweet and fulfilling like starting your day with the perfect cup of coffee.

19. my friends, hisham matar month read: december rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 one-sentence review: gorgeously, gorgeously written, and a rare story that kept me thinking after i turned the last page.

18. the hound of the baskervilles, arthur conan doyle month read: august rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 one-sentence review: a quintessential sherlock holmes mystery and by far my favourite of the series so far!

17. water moon, samantha sotto yambao month read: august rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 one-sentence review: an unexpected gem, so cozy and whimsical and thoughtful - and it comes out later this month!

16. the moon represents my heart, pim wangtechawat month read: january rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 one-sentence review: a gorgeous story with beautiful poetic prose, and moving themes of love, grief, family, and the importance of living in the here and now.

15. she would be king, wayétu moore month read: july rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 one-sentence review: a beautifully and creatively told fantastical retelling of the founding of liberia; engaging and informative.

14. the end of men, christina sweeney-baird month read: may rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 one-sentence review: eerily reminiscent of the COVID pandemic, a thought-provoking, moving, humorous imagining of a world without men.

13: just sayin': my life in words, malorie blackman month read: january rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 one-sentence review: malorie blackman is just a queen, her autobiography was deeply personal and inspiring for me.

12: confessions of an alleged good girl, joya goffney month read: january rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 one-sentence review: written with so much heart and explores important topics of sex positivity; i wish i'd had this book in my teens!

11. the thursday murder club, richard osman month read: june rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 one-sentence review: silly, cosy, heartwarming, bundles of fun; a great kickoff to a series of which i've thoroughly enjoyed every instalment so far.

10. the man who died twice, richard osman month read: july rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 one-sentence review: joyous, and still an improvement on the first book!

9. for your own good, samantha downing month read: december rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 one-sentence review: just a ton of fun, a punchy thriller that hooked me from start to finish.

8. pachinko, min jin lee month read: october rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 one-sentence review: just fantastic - no words. please read this.

7. crime and punishment, fyodor dostoyevsky month read: august rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗 one-sentence review: yes it's a long-winded russian classic but they don't call it a classic for a reason!!

6. quiet: the power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking, susan cain month read: june rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 one-sentence review: thank you to this book for reminding me there is value in my introversion.

5. an african history of africa: from the dawn of humanity to independence, zeinab badawi month read: september rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 one-sentence review: a wealth of african history told by african voices; i learned an incredible amount.

4. such a fun age, kiley reid [reread] month read: july rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 one-sentence review: insidious, twisted, wild, messy, hilarious - loved it!

3. the bullet that missed, richard osman month read: july rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 one-sentence review: by this point in the series i was having so much fun that i ran out of reasons to keep giving the books 4.5*.

2. the girl with the louding voice, abi daré [reread] month read: april rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 one-sentence review: incredibly moving and a truly underrated book; i wish more people would read this!

1. babel, or the necessity of violence: an arcane history of the oxford translators' revolution, r.f. kuang [reread] month read: june rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 one-sentence review: this will forever be my favourite book, my favourite.