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Book 22 of 2024: The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub
This was basically tailor-made for me. A P&P retelling where Lydia is a witch? And Kitty is a CAT?? And Wickham is an ancient demon but also hot??? AND Georgina Lambe from Sanditon is in this!! Sign me the fuck up, this was great, 10/10, no notes.
What to read next: The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow, for another historical fantasy that's just a delight from start to finish.
Book 120 of 2022: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
This is one of those books that I've been meaning to read forever, and then I recently had a chance to see Aiden Thomas speak, and he was such a delight, I had to bump this up the list. And I'm glad I did! It was every bit as good as I was expecting. Romantic, suspenseful, gorgeous worldbuilding, an unexpected-yet-perfect ending--this book is great. If you also haven't gotten around to this one yet, go read it! You will love it.
What to read next: Blood Like Magic, by Liselle Sambury, for another lush, romantic YA fantasy set in a fascinating and richly detailed world.
Book 65 of 2022: Scout's Honor by Lily Anderson
Obviously, I loved this one. I completely loved Undead Girl Gang, and this is definitely in that vein. In this case, our heroine is Prue. She's a legacy Scout, part of a secret society of women who fight monsters that are invisible to everyone else. A couple of years ago, Prue's best friend was killed in a fight. Since then, she's been out of the Scouts. But when her mom asks her to train a couple new Scouts, Prue realizes that if she completes this one mission, she'll have access to the organization's Tea of Forgetting, which will help her put this whole thing behind her for once and for all. This is all badass girls and creepy monsters and friendship and figuring out who you want to be--it's phenomenal.
What to read next: These Witches Don't Burn, by Isabel Sterling, for another gang of supernatural girls--and another heroine dealing with a traumatic event in her past.
Book 69 of 2022: The Dispossessed by Ursula K. LeGuin
I first read this book as a teenager, and it blew up my brain in just the right way. The anarchist society presented here is so radically different, it changed my sense of the possible. This time around, I still found that society incredibly appealing, but I focused far more on the character of Shevek. After all, he is middle-aged, a parent, a partner, embroiled in all the major and minor compromises that come with building a career. He is an idealist, but in a self-aware, weary-but-still-committed kind of way. That's one of the things I love about LeGuin--her books reveal new things to me every time I read them.
What to read next: A Psalm for the Wild-Built, by Becky Chambers, for another vision of a radically different society.
Book 87 of 2021: How to Raise Kids Who Aren't Assholes by Melinda Wenner Moyer
I absolutely loved this book. It's practical, accessible, encouraging, science-based--basically everything I could want in a parenting book. I'm glad I bought a copy, because I can see myself referring back to this one many times. If you want to level up your parenting and understand how to raise kids who are empathetic, anti-racist, feminist, body-positive, and all-around good people, definitely check this one out.
What to read next: How to Be a Happier Parent, by KJ Dell’Antonia, for another practical, down-to-earth parenting book you can actually use.
Book 11 of 2021: The Burning God by R.F. Kuang
This is a can’t-miss trilogy about war, empire, and colonialism with an epic, moving, totally satisfying conclusion. Rin is a fascinating protagonist, impulsive and angry and smart and driven. These books never feel too relentlessly dark--the outlook is never cynical, always passionate. Rin cares so deeply about the fate of her country and wants to create a better world, no matter the cost.
What to read next: The Space Between Worlds, by Micaiah Johnson, for another gripping spec-fic story about a world that needs to be put right.
Book 75 of 2020: You Should See Me In a Crown by Leah Johnson
I feel like everyone and their mother has been recommending this (even Reese Witherspoon!!), and they were all right. This book is a total delight. After losing out on some financial aid from her dream school, Liz decides that her only remaining option is to become prom queen and get the accompanying scholarship. Her working assumption is that she has to blend in with the (white, straight, rich) typical prom court crowd to win--which is why it’s trouble when the super-cute new girl, Mack, also decides to run, and they start getting close. Warm, funny, uplifting, totally absorbing--this book is great.
What to read next: Yes No Maybe So, by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed, for another sweet and lovely YA rom-com about finding your voice.
Book 55 of 2019: Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson
Honestly, if scientists designed a book in a lab to perfectly appeal to my interests, this would be it. Teen witches; female friendships; zombies in party dresses; I loved this book SO MUCH and my only complaint is that it’s not, like seven books so that I can keep reading it again and again. I kind of think that if you would like this book, the title and cover alone will be enough to sell you on it. All I can say is that, yes, it’s as good as it looks, and you should pick it up immediately.
What to read next: Lady Killer, by Joëlle Jones and Jamie S. Rich, for another razor-sharp heroine on a gleeful romp through genres.
