Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (★★★★☆)
Print • Owned (Amazon) • Contemporary Fiction • 2022
Short synopsis: Tova is a 70-something woman who has been working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, doing basic maintenance tasks. She befriends all of the animals, but is specifically drawn to Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus.
This book has been recommended to me over and over again, and sometimes when that happens, I become stubborn and refuse to read it because the hype is too much. Once the fervor for this book died down, I decided to give it a chance and I’m so glad I did! This book was exceptional. It was sweet and heartwarming, and I completely fell in love with Marcellus. (There are chapters interspersed through the novel with his thoughts, which is a little weird at first but I grew to love his perspective so much.) Tova was such a wonderful character, too, and so easy to root for. I wanted good things for her always. This is largely a character-driven novel so it could feel slow and meandering at times, but it’s the perfect book for people who do love a character-driven story.
White Tears/Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color by Ruby Hamad (★★★★★)
Audiobook • Library • Nonfiction (Social Justice) • 2020
Short synopsis: This explosive book of history and cultural criticism argues that white feminism has been a weapon of white supremacy and patriarchy deployed against Black and Indigenous women and all colonized women. Hamad starts from the slave era—when white women fought in court to keep “ownership” of their slaves—through the centuries of colonialism—when they offered a soft face for brutal tactics—to the modern workplace.
This book is not an easy read and it is not for white women who get their feelings hurt easily. I have come to a place in my anti-racism journey when I want to be challenged and I want to listen to how women of color feel about the way white feminism has halted their progress. This book talks about all sorts of different aspects of white feminism that have centered white feelings rather than listening to what women of color have been saying for generations. Hamad talks frankly about the ways white women slaveholders had an active role in punishing their enslaved people, the way women politicians of color have endured so much more vitriol than their white counterparts, and all the times white women have called the police on Black people who are just trying to live their lives (BBQ Becky, anyone?). It is an outstanding book and I am so glad I read it.
About That Night by Julie James (★★★★☆)
E-Book • Owned (Amazon) • Contemporary Romance • 2012
Short synopsis: Rylann has just moved back to Chicago, accepting a job offer to become an Assistant U.S. Attorney, after her long-term relationship ended. The last thing she expects is to come face-to-face with the man who stood her up nine years ago—and he’s the defendant in her case.
This is a reread for me, as I’m slowly working my way through all of Julie James’ romances again. I love her writing style and the way she writes her characters, and rereading her books has been so much fun. This one was no exception; it was smart, funny, and super sexy. I loved the banter between Rylann and Kyle, and the sweet way they began falling in love. Are there some jokes and slightly misogynistic comments that haven’t aged well in the 12 years since this book was published? Oh, yes. But all in all, I still loved this book and enjoyed my time with it.
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