natreadthat's reviews
389 reviews

The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson

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challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.0

Ruby aspires to be the first in her family to attend college and climb out of poverty. She spends her days studying, taking care of her grandmother, and painting, until she meets a boy. Falling fast, Ruby must decide her fate quickly. 
 
Eleanor falls for William, an affluent, medical student, as they both attend Howard University. To Eleanor’s delight—and everyone else’s surprise—William falls for her too. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in a baby carriage, right? 
 
Historical fiction often brings to light some of the darkest parts of history and The House of Eve is no different. Laced within its pages, we glimpse the racism, hardships women faced (often on their own), societal expectations, and prejudice of the 1950s. Despite the struggles and sacrifices that are forced onto both women, the story hones in on the resilience both characters display. Class/poverty was a huge focus, especially when it comes to reproductive issues, slamming me with deja vu to the current political landscape (don’t get me started on repro rights being political). This was a beautiful albeit emotional read. 
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The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Amidst the rising Iranian revolution, two kids find solace in one another as their love story blossoms. A chance encounter more than sixty years later leads Roya back to Bahman, the boy she was going to marry. Will she finally learn why he never met her in the square all those years ago? 
 
This story is not a happy one, it’s a tale of love, loss, and forgiveness. What would you do if the lost love of your life resurfaced decades later? How would your current partner handle it? The story follows Roya as she grows up, heals from heartbreak, leaves her country to attend college, marries, and crosses paths with Bahman once again. There are different kinds of love in the human experience, and this was a great reflection of that. 
 
I really, really loved The Lion Women of Tehran (read it!!) and was hoping The Stationary Shop would be just as excellent. It was good, but Lion Women is my favorite Kamali so far! And wowee, check out that beautiful cover! 🤩

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Clay and Bones: My Life As an FBI Forensic Artist by Lisa Bailey

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dark informative reflective sad tense slow-paced
I’ve always found forensics interesting (CSI, Bones, Criminal Minds anyone?), and was drawn to this memoir to hear more about the author’s work as a forensic artist in the FBI. The forensic portions that shared glimpses into cases, facial approximation, and the body farm were very interesting. I was expecting more of that, but the memoir is truly about her fight against sexism and misogyny in the workplace. It came as no surprise that the FBI is a good ole boys club. 

Clay and Bones gave me a glimpse into an industry I’m not privy too, but unfortunately her negative experiences were no stranger to me. I’m always here for those who speak out against the patriarchy and hope that writing this memoir was cathartic for Bailey, but if you’re looking for more of the forensics stuff, this probably isn’t for you. 
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Songlight: Torch Trilogy #1 by Moira Buffini

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dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

 In a bleak, dystopian world, people who can communicate telepathically through songlight are referred to as “unhumans” by their communities. They are persecuted, their telepathic abilities are surgically destroyed rendering them soulless, and they’re sentenced to work as slaves to the nation. 
 
Sodden with grief, Elsa, a young girl in a coastal town sends her overwhelming feelings of sorrow into songlight and is met by Kaira, the daughter of songlight hunter far, far away. An unexpected friendship grows as they yearn for the end of war, fear, and patriarchy. 
 
I had trouble staying engaged in this story. The world building was both too fast and too slow, and I struggled switching between five different POVs. It really didn’t pick up until the last 50 pages or so where I was really drawn in. Even then, the ending produced too many loose ends. It felt like the original story wasn’t even completed. I liked the premise—I even requested my library buy it—but it unfortunately didn’t live up to my expectations. 
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Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

5.0

Like my friends said, “y’all this book!!! 😍”
Quirky banter, falling into a $75,000 wedding cake and falling into love, drama…this story has it all! 
 
The heartthrob first son of the United States of America and the pompous Prince of Wales have been rivals for years. In light of a very public diplomatic scandal, the two are forced to fake a friendship that spans the Atlantic Ocean. What could possibly come out of that? 
 
I share the popular opinion of bookstagram that this book is a delight! Reading this was like being hugged in many ways—a female president who does what’s best for the country, a diverse set of characters, the comfort the characters offer to one another, strong sisters and best friends. Ahhh, it was all so sweet and, even better, laced with humor. Read this!!!
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The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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

“Shir zan. A woman with the courage of a lion.” 
 
This gave me the FEEEEELS. I haven’t been touched by a book like this in a long time, what a gift! 
 
I knew next to nothing about the Iranian Revolution prior to reading this. Despite that, Kamali beautifully mixed fiction with historical facts to tell the tale of two young girls from different socio-economic classes become fierce friends. This is their story. The themes of girlhood, feminism, courage, political upheaval, resilience, and friendship—among others—portrayed in this story are relatable and incredibly timely. 
 
There were moments that had me laughing, crying, and rereading portions due to their profoundness. Sadly, it does not go unnoticed that the struggle for women’s rights seen in these pages is reminiscent of what many women around the world still face today, even here in America. And yet, this story sprinkles a bit of light into the darkness. 
 
What a truly fascinating, heartfelt read! One of the best I’ve read this year so far. 
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The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

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couldn't get into it 
That's Not My Name by Megan Lally

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dark emotional mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Eerie vibes, a case of amnesia, a boy desperate to right his wrongs, and some Nancy Drew detective work. 
 
Mary can’t remember who she is, where she came from, or how she woke up bloodied up in a ditch. Fortunately her dad shows up breathless and disheveled to the police station after trying to find her for hours. Only time will tell when her memories come back, right? 
 
Drew’s entire town is against him when no trace of his missing girlfriend, Lola, turn up after five weeks. Determined to find her—alive—Drew starts his own investigation to bring her home. 
 
That’s Not My Name is a quick, YA thriller. The author does a great job making you feel how truly uncomfortable Mary is without her memory. Drew’s chapters dragged on a bit in the beginning, but picked up when he set off on his own to find Lola. I was mostly blindsided by a few things until right before they happened, which is always fun. Great if you love a mystery! 
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The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Elsa makes the tough decision to leave everything—the family farm, her in-laws, life as she knows it—and do what’s best for her children during the throes of the Great Depression: head west to California. There, she hopes to find work and settle down in the land of milk and honey. It’s only when they arrive that reality sets in. They’re seen as filthy migrants only good for working in the fields for next-to-nothing pay, left constantly trying to claw their way out of poverty. 
 
It did not go unnoticed how easy it is to see the parallels of Elsa’s story and the events from ~90 years ago and what is still happening today. Environmental disasters, years of economic hardship, and flailing political solutions aren’t just a thing of the past. This book does a great job of reminding you that sometimes even hard work isn’t enough when you’re stuck in a disastrous cycle. 
 
I can’t say I enjoyed The Four Winds. It was a sad, harrowing look into how the land turned against those who called the Great Plains home and left them desperately choosing between abandoning everything or risking death by dust pneumonia. It did, however, vividly tell the story of hardship, bravery, and comradely of everyday people who are forced to be resilient in times of desperation. 
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The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

This was pretty much the only “spooky” book I read in October, and a compelling one it was!

Barbara Van Lear, the rebellious, misunderstood daughter of the wealthy owners of Camp Emerson goes missing one summer morning. Through the eyes of different characters and timelines, we follow leads as they come in piece by piece. 

Linear timelines can be notoriously hard to follow, but I had no trouble switching POVs nearly every other chapter. Each character was unique with important pieces of the story, or at least dislikable but interesting enough to not skip over. The book was on the longer side, really allowing for character development, and threw in a few delicious twists that readers might be able to pick up on. Overall, the summer camp vibes made me a bit nostalgic and the mystery kept me entertained to the end!
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