The Gist: Discover 18 captivating summer reads across fantasy, mystery, and romance genres to enjoy under the sun and make your summer unforgettable.
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(more…)The Ultimate Summer Reading List: 18 Books with Heart and Thrills
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Book Review: Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter
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The Gist: Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter is a poignant and darkly satirical exploration of classism, mental health, and the dystopian nature of modern work culture.
Series: Standalone
Release Date: July 11, 2023
Synopsis
A year into her dream job at a cutthroat Silicon Valley startup, Cassie finds herself trapped in a corporate nightmare. In addition to the long hours, toxic bosses, and unethical projects, she struggles to reconcile the glittering promise of a city where obscene wealth lives alongside abject poverty. Ivy League grads complain about the snack selection from a conference room with a view of unhoused people bathing in the bay. Startup burnouts leap into the paths of commuter trains, and men set themselves on fire in the streets.
Though isolated, Cassie is never alone. From her earliest memory, a miniature black hole has been her constant companion. It feeds on her depression and anxiety, its size changing in relation to her distress. The black hole watches, but it also waits. Its relentless pull draws Cassie ever-closer as the world around her unravels.
When her CEO’s demands cross an illegal threshold and she ends up unexpectedly pregnant, Cassie must decide whether the tempting fruits of Silicon Valley are really worth it. Sharp but vulnerable, funny yet unsettling, Ripe portrays one millennial woman’s journey through a late-capitalist hellscape and offers an incisive look at the absurdities of modern life.
Ending
Reflective. Open-ended. It could be construed as suicide or that she finally confronted her depression and was ready to find a fulfilling life by treating her depression.
Representation
• Main character with depression
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Classism
• Depression
• Recounting of child abuse (including flashbacks)
• Intrusive thoughts
• Suicidal ideation
• Surgical abortion
• Drug and alcohol abuse
• Drug and alcohol consumption after pregnancy is confirmed
• Toxic parental relationships
• Toxic and abusive workplace
• Panic attacks
• Sexism
• Depression
• Recounting of child abuse (including flashbacks)
• Intrusive thoughts
• Suicidal ideation
• Surgical abortion
• Drug and alcohol abuse
• Drug and alcohol consumption after pregnancy is confirmed
• Toxic parental relationships
• Toxic and abusive workplace
• Panic attacks
• Sexism
Mature Themes
• Drug consumption and abuse
• Alcohol consumption and abuse
• Explicit sexual content
• Swearing
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
• Alcohol consumption and abuse
• Explicit sexual content
• Swearing
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 5-stars
(more…)Goodreads Book Tag: New Reads and Exciting TBR Picks
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Quick Take: Dive into my Goodreads Book Tag for a curated journey through my recent reads, reflections, and exciting TBR picks!
(more…)Book Review: The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange
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The Gist: In The Connellys of County Down, Tracey Lange skillfully delves into complex sibling dynamics and the aftermath of a criminal conviction, yet the novel falls short with its romantic subplot and fails to address critical systemic policing issues.
Series: Standalone
Release Date: August 1, 2023
Synopsis
When Tara Connelly is released from prison after serving eighteen months on a drug charge, she knows rebuilding her life at thirty years old won’t be easy. With no money and no prospects, she returns home to live with her siblings, who are both busy with their own problems. Her brother, a single dad, struggles with the ongoing effects of a brain injury he sustained years ago, and her sister’s fragile facade of calm and order is cracking under the burden of big secrets. Life becomes even more complicated when the cop who put her in prison keeps showing up unannounced, leaving Tara to wonder what he wants from her now.
While she works to build a new career and hold her family together, Tara finds a chance at love in a most unlikely place. But when the Connellys’ secrets start to unravel and threaten her future, they all must face their worst fears and come clean, or risk losing each other forever.
The Connellys of County Down is a moving novel about testing the bounds of love and loyalty. It explores the possibility of beginning our lives anew, and reveals the pitfalls of shielding each other from the bitter truth.
Ending
HEA
Representation
• Main character who suffers from a traumatic brain injury (leading to migraines, seizures, and compromised vision)
• Main character who exhibits hoarding behaviours
• Main character who exhibits hoarding behaviours
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Recounting of physical assault while in prison
• Main character who suffers from hoarding
• Recounting of incarceration
• Recounting of the murder of parents during a home invasion
• Police intimidation
• Recounting of car accident resulting in hospitalization of a main character
• Parental abandonment
• Recounting of the Connelly siblings’ mother dying from c@ncer when they were children
• Main character who suffers from hoarding
• Recounting of incarceration
• Recounting of the murder of parents during a home invasion
• Police intimidation
• Recounting of car accident resulting in hospitalization of a main character
• Parental abandonment
• Recounting of the Connelly siblings’ mother dying from c@ncer when they were children
Mature Themes
• Sex (alluded to, not explicit)
• Alcohol consumption and abuse (by a side character)
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
• Alcohol consumption and abuse (by a side character)
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 4-stars
(more…)My Exciting June TBR: Epic Fantasy, the Best Nonfiction, and New Releases
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About: Explore my June TBR with a diverse selection of anticipated reads, including epic fantasies, compelling nonfiction, intriguing new releases, and feminist retellings like Kaikeyi and Babylonia!
(more…)January Wrap Up: 36 Books Read
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Overview: It’s 2024, and it’s finally time to update my approach to my monthly wrap ups! I started the new year on a familiar note by re-reading a bunch of faves. However, I also found a few contenders for my favourite book of 2024!
(more…)2023 Wrap Up: 379 books read
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Summary: I read 379 books, surpassing my reading goal! In my 2023 Wrap Up, I break down my reading habits, including my favourite reads and my plans for 2024!
(more…)The End of Year Book Tag: 2023
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Quick Take: Explore my End of Year Book Tag, diving into unread gems on my shelves, and my 2023 TBR priorities, including a book I’ve owned for ten years!
(more…)9 Books on My November TBR
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About: Explore my November TBR with nine anticipated reads, including Cassandra Clare’s adult fantasy debut and two holiday romances!
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(more…)September Wrap Up: 30 Books Read
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About: Dive into my September Wrap Up with 30 books, boasting a 4.08-star average, some new favourites, including Reckless by Elsie Silver, and a 2023 release disappointment.
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