A detailed look at last week’s reading habits: 9 books read, including two books from my Up Next Shelf. My three new additions to my want-to-read list explore and challenge fatphobia.
(more…)The Weekly Wrap: April 19th to April 25th
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The Weekly Wrap: April 12th to April 18th
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A detailed look at last week’s reading habits: 7 books read, one DNF and, unfortunately, no books read from my Up Next Shelf. I discuss a surprising addition to one of my favourite reverse harem sci-fi romance series and the highly anticipated conclusion of my favourite reverse harem romance epic fantasy series.
(more…)28 More Than Good Reads in March
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A detailed look at March’s reading habits: 28 books read, no DNFs and eight books read from my Up Next Shelf, a summary of March’s want-to-read list, and some tweaks to my minimum TBR list.
(more…)The Weekly Wrap: April 5th to April 11th
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A detailed look at last week’s reading habits: 11 books read, including one from my Up Next Shelf. I read a swoon-worthy historical romance, and seven anticipated books are out this week!
(more…)Powerful and Motivational: The Body Is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor
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The Gist: A powerful book that delves into the oppressive history of modern beauty standards, transforming the meaning of self-love.
Series: Standalone
Release Date: February 9, 2021 (2nd Edition)
Synopsis
A global movement guided by love.
Humans are a varied and divergent bunch with all manner of beliefs, morals, and bodies. Systems of oppression thrive off our inability to make peace with difference and injure the relationship we have with our own bodies.
The Body Is Not an Apology offers radical self-love as the balm to heal the wounds inflicted by these violent systems. World-renowned activist and poet Sonya Renee Taylor invites us to reconnect with the radical origins of our minds and bodies and celebrate our collective, enduring strength. As we awaken to our own indoctrinated body shame, we feel inspired to awaken others and to interrupt the systems that perpetuate body shame and oppression against all bodies. When we act from this truth on a global scale, we usher in the transformative opportunity of radical self-love, which is the opportunity for a more just, equitable, and compassionate world–for us all.
Ending
Powerful & Motivational
Representation
• Fat Black queer author
Possible Triggers: No
• No abuse
• No overly sad parts
**Note: the book does talk about racism, fatphobia, homophobia, ableism and eating disorders. I don’t think any were talked about in a triggering way; if I’m wrong please let me know through the comment section or send me an email via my contact page.
• No overly sad parts
**Note: the book does talk about racism, fatphobia, homophobia, ableism and eating disorders. I don’t think any were talked about in a triggering way; if I’m wrong please let me know through the comment section or send me an email via my contact page.
Mature Themes
• Talks about safe-sex
Format: eARC
Rating: 3.75-stars
Note: I received The Body Is Not an Apology through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to FSB Association for the opportunity.
(more…)The Weekly Wrap: March 29th to April 4th
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A detailed look at last week’s reading habits: Eight books read, one DNF and one book knocked off from my Up Next Shelf. I also read two amazing 5-star books last weekend!
(more…)Book Review: One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London
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The Gist: A bachelorette-style romance that delves into the pervasive fatphobia in the US while serving a dramatic yet sweet romance that falters a bit with its distant narrative and rushed ending.
Series: Standalone
Release Date: July 7, 2020
Synopsis
Bea Schumacher is a devastatingly stylish plus-size fashion blogger who has amazing friends, a devoted family, legions of Insta followers–and a massively broken heart. Like the rest of America, Bea indulges in her weekly obsession: the hit reality show Main Squeeze. The fantasy dates! The kiss-off rejections! The surprising amount of guys named Chad! But Bea is sick and tired of the lack of body diversity on the show. Since when is being a size zero a prerequisite for getting engaged on television?
Just when Bea has sworn off dating altogether, she gets an intriguing call: Main Squeeze wants her to be its next star, surrounded by men vying for her affections. Bea agrees, on one condition–under no circumstances will she actually fall in love. She’s in this to supercharge her career, subvert harmful anti-fat beauty standards, inspire women across America, and get a free hot air balloon ride. That’s it.
But when the cameras start rolling, Bea realizes things are more complicated than she anticipated. She’s in a whirlwind of sumptuous couture, Internet culture wars, sexy suitors, and an opportunity (or two, or five) to find messy, real-life love in the midst of a made-for-TV fairy tale.
Ending
HEA
Representation
• Fat Heroine
• Lesbian supporting character
• Fat supporting characters
• Asian-American Jewish supporting character
• Black supporting character
• Gender expansive side character
• Asexual and romantic supporting character
• Lesbian supporting character
• Fat supporting characters
• Asian-American Jewish supporting character
• Black supporting character
• Gender expansive side character
• Asexual and romantic supporting character
Possible Triggers
• Emotional abuse, including fatphobic hate speech
• Threat of r@pe (comments on social media posts)
• Death threats (comments on social media posts)
• Threat of r@pe (comments on social media posts)
• Death threats (comments on social media posts)
Safety Rating: Safe with Exception
• Does have cheating
– Heroine sleeps with her best friend and long-time unrequited crush while he’s engaged
– While there was no discussion about monogamy, the Heroine assumed each of the men she was dating on the show was monogamous. One of the men, however, had been sleeping with people throughout the show.
• No OW drama
• Does have OM drama (she is dating 25 men at once (to start), so jealous does arise.
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
– Heroine sleeps with her best friend and long-time unrequited crush while he’s engaged
– While there was no discussion about monogamy, the Heroine assumed each of the men she was dating on the show was monogamous. One of the men, however, had been sleeping with people throughout the show.
• No OW drama
• Does have OM drama (she is dating 25 men at once (to start), so jealous does arise.
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Format: Kindle
Rating: 4-stars
(more…)The Weekly Wrap: March 22nd to March 28th
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TL;DR: Ten books read, including three re-reads and no DNFs. Three anticipated books releasing this week and I’m finally reading From Blood and Ash!
(more…)Book Review: Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao
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The Gist: A realistic exploration of the complex relationship between US immigrant parents and their American children, making the rom-com a heavier read than expected.
Series: Standalone
Release Date: November 10, 2020
Synopsis
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before meets The Farewell in this incisive romantic comedy about a college student who hires a fake boyfriend to appease her traditional Taiwanese parents, to disastrous results, from the acclaimed author of American Panda.
Chloe Wang is nervous to introduce her parents to her boyfriend, because the truth is, she hasn’t met him yet either. She hired him from Rent for Your ’Rents, a company specializing in providing fake boyfriends trained to impress even the most traditional Asian parents.
Drew Chan’s passion is art, but after his parents cut him off for dropping out of college to pursue his dreams, he became a Rent for Your ’Rents employee to keep a roof over his head. Luckily, learning protocols like “Type C parents prefer quiet, kind, zero-PDA gestures” comes naturally to him.
When Chloe rents Drew, the mission is simple: convince her parents fake Drew is worthy of their approval so they’ll stop pressuring her to accept a proposal from Hongbo, the wealthiest (and slimiest) young bachelor in their tight-knit Asian American community.
But when Chloe starts to fall for the real Drew—who, unlike his fake persona, is definitely not ’rent-worthy—her carefully curated life begins to unravel. Can she figure out what she wants before she loses everything?
Ending
HFN
Representation
• Taiwanese-American Heroine
• Taiwanese-American Hero
• Taiwanese-American Supporting Characters
• Taiwanese-American Hero
• Taiwanese-American Supporting Characters
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Parental abandonment (Hero was kicked out of his house ~18-years-old)
• Really difficult relationship with parents
• Strong themes of sexism
• Brief mentions of homophobia and racism
• Cancer
• Really difficult relationship with parents
• Strong themes of sexism
• Brief mentions of homophobia and racism
• Cancer
Safety Rating: Safe
• No cheating
• No OW drama
– But, the Hero does continue his fake boyfriend job, which the Heroine knows about.
• Does have OM drama
– Heroine’s parents are trying to set her up with the extremely sexist only son of their elitist friends
• Does have the Heroine pushing the Hero away
• Does have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
• No OW drama
– But, the Hero does continue his fake boyfriend job, which the Heroine knows about.
• Does have OM drama
– Heroine’s parents are trying to set her up with the extremely sexist only son of their elitist friends
• Does have the Heroine pushing the Hero away
• Does have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Format: Kindle
Rating: 3.5-stars
(more…)The Weekly Wrap: March 15th to March 21st
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A detailed look at last week’s reading habits: Four books read, no DNFs and three of the books are from my Up Next Shelf! I also have a novel tbr inspired by Amy Poehler’s movie: Moxie!
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