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rachel_athens's reviews
954 reviews
Food Person: A Novel by Adam Roberts
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Food Person is a fun, food-focused book starring an aspiring NYC food writer who lands the best (or worst) job: ghostwriting a cookbook for a washed-up actress who can't make a salad to save her life. With a charming indie bookstore focused on selling cookbooks as one of protagonist Isabella's happy places, author Adam Roberts drops all the best culinary titles and authors in this delightful story. Take notes and add these to your TBR pile! Read this for a fun escape that even includes a side of romance.
Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I love Max and her complicated relationships with her brother, friends, and boyfriend. She's the type of character I thought about during the day and I couldn't wait to get back to every night. Disappoint Me is focused on lawyer Max and the fairly mundane human drama we all suffer through. Her job is easy, she hasn't been writing poetry lately, and why does running into her ex at functions feel the way it does? Nicola Dinan's writing is fun and gossipy in an addictive yet healthy way. Her sharp prose makes you feel you're at a party just eavesdropping. I will now go read everything Dinan has written.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Minor: Abortion
The Second Chance Convenience Store by Kim Ho-yeon
2.75
A single act of kindness can be life-changing. Ho-Yeon Kim's The Second Chance Convenience Store explores the impact of one person's desire to put things right in a world he can't remember. Full of interesting characters, this book gives hope to those who need a second chance.
Three Days in June by Anne Tyler
3.75
Ann Tyler’s books have always made the mundane fascinating. As most of us lead fairly ordinary lives, that is her trick. The idiosyncrasies of Tyler's characters make one's quirks feel okay, which they are. Three Days in June gives us three days inside the head of Gail Baines before, during, and after her only daughter’s wedding. This book is a reexamination of ordinary love and is delightful.
Too Soon by Betty Shamieh
4.75
Too Soon by Betty Shamieh is a fantastic, delightfully funny, and meaningful read. Spanning over fifty years, you'll meet three generations of Palestinian American women who are tough as nails and want more choices and something better for each generation even as the pull of tradition informs their values. Zoya, Naya, and Arabella all have to negotiate for the chance to voice their true selves despite societal constraints. This would be a great book club choice for discussion.
I'll Be Right Here: A Novel by Amy Bloom
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Amy Bloom's I'll Be Right Here tells the story of an Algerian orphan who survives World War II and makes a new life and family in the United States. Gazala is a survivor who finds deep love and attachment after losing everything. Told through different family members' lives, both mainstream and unconventional loves are represented in Bloom's signature expressive prose.
The Dollhouse Academy by Margarita Montimore
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This suspenseful novel about two young actresses trying to break into the business has lots of dark academia vibes and pop culture references. Montimore's books are always an escape and The Dollhouse Academy delivers. Consider this one for your next vacation or holiday.
Old School Indian by Aaron Curtis
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Be forewarned: begin reading Aaron John Curtis’s Old School Indian and you’ll quickly fall into a conspiratorial relationship with the protagonist Abe’s alter ego, Dominick Deer Woods, a poet, and a tell-it-like-it-is fella. Suffering from a life-threatening illness baffling his doctors, Abe goes home to the Ahkwesáhsne reservation to see his family and escape the isolation of his marriage. Dominick Deer Woods’s familiar tone when schooling the reader on the true history of Indigenous peoples in America is brutal, funny, and heart-wrenching. It's an honor to witness Abe's journey to remember and embrace his past while seeking clarity for the future. Old School Indian is gorgeously written and brutally beautiful.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt
Minor: Alcoholism