I wish I had this book when my Great Grandma had dementia. I didn CWs: (view spoiler)[ grandparent with dementia, partner in denial (hide spoiler)]
I wish I had this book when my Great Grandma had dementia. I didn’t know how to reach out to her then, and I’m kind of heartbroken about that now.
This book is precious beyond words because it teaches about the onset of dementia and also how to interact with someone who doesn’t have short-term memory.
Grandpa’s wife is very harsh with him at the beginning, blaming him for the mistakes he makes and the things he can’t remember. I got (understandably) very upset with her. But then I reached a point in the book where I realized that she was in denial. It doesn’t make her behavior right, but the fact that she changes for the better shouldn’t be forgotten.
“Stump” the granddaughter is much more understanding when it comes to her grandpa’s condition. She’s very patient with him, and spends her time collecting the words he’s lost. At the end, she and her grandma together come up with a plan to recreate the dance on their wedding night.
The thing with dementia is that it primarily impacts short-term memory, but long-term memory still stands. That means potentially you can interact with someone by stimulating a memory from their past, which in this case was their wedding and a rabbit like the one her grandpa used to have as a boy. It is so important to do what you can to help a person with dementia feel comfortable....more
This is delightfully queer. It features a lesbian, a gender-nonconforming angel, a gentle queer romance, and a little WLW romance at the end. EverythiThis is delightfully queer. It features a lesbian, a gender-nonconforming angel, a gentle queer romance, and a little WLW romance at the end. Everything I could ever want. I’m making a note that I need to read more Jewish lit.
Also, this cover is the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen!...more
CWs: (view spoiler)[ drug dealing, gore, housefire, murder, nudity, parental insecurities, rape threat against children, sadism, sex (graphic), tort CWs: (view spoiler)[ drug dealing, gore, housefire, murder, nudity, parental insecurities, rape threat against children, sadism, sex (graphic), torture of prisoners, war (hide spoiler)]
Spoilers ahead for Saga vol 9!!!
Saga is back and stronger than ever! And that cover? *chef’s kiss*
This volume sets up the future of the series very nicely. (Or not nicely, but you know what I mean).
There are moments where Hazel looks so much like Marko I almost cried. And I mean that literally. I teared up out of grief for a fictional character. Fiona Staples takes half the blame for that one.
And oh, for the first time in history, Gwendolyn and The Will are on my s-list. No more “Oh no, who do I want to win??” Nope. They can BURN. BURN IT ALL DOWN!
Um, yeah… I love this series a normal amount.
That ending was absolutely heart-wrenching. The emotions were so palpable, it was hard to watch. And the context made it even harder. (view spoiler)[ Earlier in the volume when Hazel said she felt her dad too much to really mourn him, I thought that was really nice. Until I learned that she felt her dad specifically when she was in their tree house spaceship. So when it was burning down (uh-oh), it unlocked a treasure-trove of grief. Oh yes. How nice of them. (hide spoiler)] But all things aside, beautifully done.
Im glad there’s a little break between volumes so I have time to recover. Whew!
CWs: (view spoiler)[ classism, death, death in childbirth, fatphobia, murder, physical assault (bruising), self-blame, self-harm, unhealthy guilt, w CWs: (view spoiler)[ classism, death, death in childbirth, fatphobia, murder, physical assault (bruising), self-blame, self-harm, unhealthy guilt, war (hide spoiler)]
I’m a sucker for middle-grade historical fiction, this is worth a read not only for its excellent storytelling but its exceptional twist! It was so much fun watching Nell’s story unfold.
Pairs well with Sent by Margaret Peterson Haddix, which also tells the story of young King Edward and Prince Dickon with an intriguing twist. ...more
If I had read this at the beginning of my ace journey, Georgia’s internalized acephobia would’ve knocked me flat. So for anyone struggling to come to terms with their ace and aro identities, tread carefully. But Loveless came to me at the perfect time, five years after I realized I was on the ace spectrum.
I related to Georgia so much.
“You’ll find someone eventually—that was what everyone said, and they were right… All I had to do was wait, and my big love story would come.”
As a teen, I assumed that I would grow into sexual attraction like everyone else, like all of my friends. But I eventually reached an age when I realized I would never feel sexual attraction for anybody. My romances would be nothing else, just romance. And who would want to be with me romantically if I couldn’t be with them sexually? Like Georgia, realizing my identity sent me into a downward spiral of depression and low self esteem.
Also like Georgia, I felt infantilized by the people and the world around me. Society has a weird fixation on sex, including the belief that you aren’t truly an adult until you’ve had sex and/or a romantic relationship. When Georgia says she hasn’t kissed anyone at the ripe old age of 18, her peers look at her differently.
“The weird looks. The people who’d suddenly seen me as a child, as immature. The movies where the main characters freaked out about being virgins at the age of sixteen.”
It takes a lot of work for Georgia to find her way back to self-respect, to accepting herself. But despite the odds, she does get there. Despite the odds, I hope all of us will find our way to self-love and self-acceptance. I know I have. I’ve even come to see my identity for what it is: beautiful.
“I used to dream of a spellbinding, endless, forever romance. A beautiful story of meeting a person who could change your whole world. But now, I realized, friendship could be that too.”
I hope this book reaches as many people as possible, particularly young people. We go out into the world believing that only a romantic partner can complete us, and that simply isn’t true. More of us need to remember that friendship is just as desirable as romance.
“‘Give your friendships the magic you would give a romance. Because they’re just as important.”
There’s so much love in this, it’s alive on the pages and reaches every corner. I’m crying a little, knowing that this is what unconditional love meanThere’s so much love in this, it’s alive on the pages and reaches every corner. I’m crying a little, knowing that this is what unconditional love means.
“With care in my hands, I sewed your first star blanket. With each stitch I whispered a prayer for you and thought about wrapping you up warm and safe, just like you are now in my belly.”
Content Rating: yellow CWs:(view spoiler)[addiction, death of a loved one, emotional manipulation, fatphobia, murder, overthinking, physical assault, Content Rating: yellow CWs:(view spoiler)[addiction, death of a loved one, emotional manipulation, fatphobia, murder, overthinking, physical assault, social anxiety, and withdrawal symptoms (hide spoiler)]
I wanted to love it, but the first half was going so sloooow. It felt like riding in a car going 10 mph on a forever road surrounded by dead corn stalks. In other words, what a sludge.
The whole time, I thought I knew where the book was going. And I did. Once the middle of the book hit, I was strapped in and ready to go. Everything was going as expected.
Until a surprise plot twist showed up that absolutely knocked my socks off! Everything after that was 5 stars for me, thankfully. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series....more
CWs: abusive relationship, bullying, gaslighting, homophobia, homophobic slurs (explicit), irrational guilt, sexual assault, sexual confusion, sexual CWs: abusive relationship, bullying, gaslighting, homophobia, homophobic slurs (explicit), irrational guilt, sexual assault, sexual confusion, sexual harrsssment, toxic relationship
The hype is REAL holy shit!!!!
It’s been a long time since a romance woke up my cold, dead heart. That honor goes to Heartstopper. There’s really no other competition. It’s like all my favorite fanfic and romantic tropes in one.
Get ready for the feels and the squeals, because this book is the most adorable thing ever. If you’ve ever had a supercrush on your best friend, this is going to make you relive the good old days. Nick and Charlie reminded me of my second major crush, just being around them made me so happy and I could never stop smiling. I love falling in love with Nick and Charlie falling in love with each other. My crushes never really worked out, but I can live the dream through them.
Finally, one burning question: Why does Charlie have darker skin on the cover but then has 0 shading in the book? ...more
CWs: (view spoiler)[ grief, loss of a loved one, near-death experience, terrorism, mass murder, sadism, self-guilt, self-loathing, self-shame, tortu CWs: (view spoiler)[ grief, loss of a loved one, near-death experience, terrorism, mass murder, sadism, self-guilt, self-loathing, self-shame, torture, war (hide spoiler)]
I must really not get along with Cavan Scott’s writing because this was sooooo boring. Even when something interesting was happening, it was boring. If this book was shorter and more condensed, it would’ve been so much better. Nothing happens in the first half of the book, and it doesn’t do a very good job at building up tension, either. I just kept trying and putting it down.
I finally had a moment of genius: audiobook at 1.10 speed. I could tune out some of the filler yet be aware enough not to miss the really important parts. A large improvement. I never would’ve made it through this book otherwise.
Even so, I was still planning on giving this only two stars. But the joy of the ending got to me. Stellan being delighted to see Vern again, Belle and (view spoiler)[ Loden, reunited (hide spoiler)], Stellan excited to take care of Elzar and help bring him back to the light, hugs (!)… all that’s like candy to me. At the end of the day, most of what keeps me coming back to the High Republic story is the characters and the relationships they have with each other. And so I give this a four, because the ending made me feel happy.
Until that very last page, of course. I had to give myself a little time to take care of myself because I was truly *unwell* after that last page. A nice reminder not to care about characters too much. ...more
First of all, I would like to write an apology to Gale Galligan. I originally shunned her adaptations thinking that I would never enjoy a BSC graphic novel that wasn’t illustrated by Raina Telgemeier. Of course, I was super wrong. Gale Galligan’s illustrations are so filled with life and expression. I laughed every time she drew the characters’ faces to look like emojis or memes. I can also say that I enjoyed this art style even more than the previous graphic novels. Galligan has 110% won me over.
Art aside, this book is a heavy hitter. I’ve experienced firsthand how it feels as a child to be put into a parental role when the actual parent is being neglectful. When young children bypass their real parents for the underage parent stand-in for things like homework and emotional support, it gets tough to advocate for your needs. When you love the children you care for, it is hard to set boundaries, even when the work is eating you up and wearing you down. Dawn learns this the hard way. When you love the children you care for, you see that they have emotional needs that aren’t being filled, and all you want to do is take care of them even when you shouldn’t. When I got older, I learned to say “no,” in spite of the consequences. Dawn is privileged for being able to recognize right away that the situation she is put into is unhealthy (for her and the Barrett children) and she is even more privileged to be able to say “No” and stand up for herself.
I’m so proud of Dawn for setting boundaries. By standing up for herself, she stood up for people like me, who were coerced into a parental role too soon. We are worth more than what we can give to other people. Dawn knows this to be true, so maybe I can start believing it. ...more
What a lovely addition to the bedtime routine genre! This is a story about a family’s hair routine at bedtime. Each family member has their own speciaWhat a lovely addition to the bedtime routine genre! This is a story about a family’s hair routine at bedtime. Each family member has their own special way of preparing their hair for sleep. But there’s one problem—the youngest daughter can’t find her bedtime bonnet! She can’t go to sleep without it! So she asks each member of her family in turn if they’ve seen her bedtime bonnet. It turns out Grandpa was wearing it for a joke. Oh, Grandpa!
It felt so comforting for me to spend time with this family. Her Grandpa reminds me of my Grandpa—bald, making jokes, and pulling pranks. If you ever want to feel warm and cozy, give this a try. ...more
The cover reminded me of Blue Is the W CWs: abuse, anti-LGBTQ+ violence, bullying, depression, homophobia, homophobic slur, nonconsensual operations
The cover reminded me of Blue Is the Warmest Color, so of course I had to pick it up. It turns out that this is, in fact, illustrated by the one and only Julie Maroh! I will never cease to be amazed by the expressiveness of their characters. I felt every emotion on the page, no small feat because there was such a large range of emotions to convey.
This could be your generic coming-out-romance story, but there’s something that sets it apart from the crowd. I think it boils down to the beautiful relationships these characters share and how those relationships evolve. Everyone has a lesson to learn; everyone has something to teach. And I think that’s beautiful. ...more
Wow. The illustrations are so gorgeously detailed that they tell a larger story than words can express. The pictures express a celebration of love. LoWow. The illustrations are so gorgeously detailed that they tell a larger story than words can express. The pictures express a celebration of love. Love between Julián and his friend Marisol. The love the abuelas have for their grandchildren. The love two brides have for eachother. And the love the brides feel for Julián and Marisol. It’s a big circle of love!
The story is unlike Julián Is a Mermaid, but the tone of love and acceptance is exactly the same. I can’t wait for more Julián! Here’s hoping Jessica Love never gets tired of writing about a young boy who expresses himself in gender-defying ways and his abuela who accepts him and encourages him to be himself....more
This would’ve been five stars, but the ending wasn’t as epic as it should’ve been. Seriously. I wish Doescher would’ve given those last few scenes theThis would’ve been five stars, but the ending wasn’t as epic as it should’ve been. Seriously. I wish Doescher would’ve given those last few scenes the attention they deserve instead of summarizing them all in a couple of pages. The Hug deserves at least two pages. Okay, fine, I’m exaggerating about the hug, but it’s still jarring how quickly everything got wrapped up.
Nevertheless, I want to express gratitude for the love and care Doescher has given this trilogy and its characters. While many of us had to suffer through the near-constant male dismissal of the sequel trilogy (including dismissal and open hatred for Rey and Rose), it means a lot that he saw the value in the sequels and the depth they have to offer. For that I will always be grateful. So thank you, Ian Doescher. I will always be proud to love Star Wars alongside people like you. ...more