Scan barcode
rachel_athens's reviews
954 reviews
The Verifiers by Jane Pek
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
3.75
The Verifiers features Claudia Lin, an employee at an exclusive online dating agency, who just wants to solve mysteries (though it's not her job), date girls (though her mother wants to marry her off to a nice Chinese boy), and maybe get along with her siblings. This is a fun mystery and easy read!
Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant by Curtis Chin
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I loved Curtis Chin's memoir, Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant. Chin grew up in 1980s Detroit with the center of his world being his family's restaurant, Chung’s Cantonese Cuisine. One of six children and the son of immigrants, Chin's tight-knit family and community weathered social injustice, racism, and violence by providing a welcoming environment, delicious food, and open arms. Chin shares his struggles to figure out his sexuality, his feelings of being lost in a large family, and wanted to please his elders in touching and funny stories that show his earnest and kind heart. Highly recommend and also great as an audiobook from Libro.fm as the author narrates.
Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Being a human and experiencing firsts (first skinned knee, first disappointment in a trusted adult) can be lonely and confusing. Bertino's Beautyland tells the story of Adina, an alien born in human form at the exact moment that the Voyager 1 is launched into space on September 5, 1977 carrying the famous golden record. Through Adina we experience a child trying to making sense of the messes humankind has made on planet Earth and her candid unbiased reports of life are delightful. As in her previous books, Bertino's lyrical prose and beautiful interpretations of what might be mundane are stunning. Whether explaining all the subtle indicators of class or exploring the institutions responsible for blaming Yoko for breaking up the Beatles, reading Adina's fax missives to her supervisors on her planet make you feel as though you are discovering earthling secrets. Human beings are messy and take themselves so seriously. Beautyland will remind you of what is important in life.
The Celebrants by Steven Rowley
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
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? Yes
3.75
The Celebrants is the lifelong story of six friends who met as second-year transfers at UC, Berkeley. Unexpectedly losing one friend in their twenties causes them to make a pact to celebrate each other's lives when summoned. This results in living funerals at a house in Big Sur when each one goes through a crisis. This is a light treatment of what could be a heavy subject and I found this a fun, easy read that would be perfect on a vacation.
He/She/They: How We Talk About Gender and Why It Matters by Schuyler Bailar
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Schuyler Bailar's book He/She/They is absolutely necessary reading. He uses his personal experience as a trans man as well as science, history, facts, and footnotes in this guide to understand gender identity and trans rights. A truly gifted educator and communicator, the kind and compassionate manner Bailar employs means his message is not diluted. He is changing the world one person at a time. Very highly recommend.
Real Americans by Rachel Khong
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
There are moments in life when choices must be made and most make decisions to the best of their ability. Rachel Khong's highly anticipated Real Americans tells the story of three generations whose crucial choices, made out of love and best intentions chart courses that are life-changing and at times hurtful. At once a cautionary tale on potential genetic editing as well as a grand family story contemplating what it means to truly be American, Real Americans is filled with characters who are almost too brave who deny their truth to protect others.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness and Suicide
The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
3.75
The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende is a dual-timeline historical fiction centering around the impact immigration has on two children, one from Vienna in 1938 and the other from El Salvador who is in detention in Arizona in 2019. While the circumstances of young Samuel Adler leaving his mother on the Kindertransport train out of Nazi-occupied Austria to England is vastly different than young Anita and her mother entering the United States to escape an abusive man in their native El Salvador, the emotional impact and trauma of being separated from your family at a young age is universal. How Samuel and Anita's lives become connected is a beautiful story of grace and hope.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Sexual assault, and Death of parent
The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
What a treasure Margaret Renkl has given us in The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year. Truly a book you can dip in and out of, Renkl's keen and beautiful observations of flora and fauna will challenge the reader to layer a filter of wonder over the ordinary. Ruminations on large issues such as the development of her neighborhood and the state of the environment contrast with meditative observations of the migratory patterns of birds and how to lure frogs into her backyard pond. The underlying thread is a state of grace that, if taken to heart, will serve us well.
The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Journalist Rachel tells the story of her last year in college and first years adulting, living with her best friend James, and working in a bookstore in Caroline O'Donoghue's The Rachel Incident. The fact that there is an incident at all is the point of the book. That love affairs are concealed and crushes are confused makes life so very hard. I loved this story of young twenty-somethings, a closeted professor, and the desire to become someone who matters. For fans of Sally Rooney and Lily King.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage