onemorebookpodcast's reviews
80 reviews

A group of friends meet at their yearly summer vacation house & have to grapple with the fact that they themselves & their relationships have changed over the years. And the 2 main characters 'Wyn & Harriet' are forced to 'fake date' & pretend during the length of their stay that they are this happy couple while hiding from their friends the fact that they broke up their engagement & haven’t spoken to each other in a long time.

A book hailed as one of the best romance books of 2023 was unfortunately a fail for me. Apart from the cute cover, I have very few if any positive things to say about this book. First of all, where was the chemistry between the 2 main characters? These 2 were meant to be walking down the aisle soon but were unable to hold any meaningful conversation. They kept on speaking in weird 'one liners' which IMO led to the miscommunication that was the cause of their break up. Harriet gave me 'pick-meisha' vibes the way she kept on praising Wyn's looks & just how she never felt worthy of his love nor attention. Girl, you are in Medical School, fix that crown

If you are looking for a collection of short stories that feels contemporary & wholesome then this is it. This debut book depicts an array of young & black British millennials navigating life during & the pandemic as they juggle work, love, family, health & the social situations that they find themselves in. I also loved that she included a character dealing with chronic pain, Yes for representation!

The only part that I didn’t feel the need for was the last bit where she brought all the characters together, but that’s just a 'me thing'. I prefer to keep my short stories' characters separate

A country’s violent invasion & continued occupancy, the oppression of a people, loss, trauma that is passed down through generations, migration & the desperate need by a people to try & hold on to what they perceive as their culture is the short version of this heartbreaking yet necessary book.

The stories of Isra, Deya & Fareeda, 3 Palestinian women who are navigating life in a foreign land far away from home that they are to call home while living under the ever present & heavy hand of patriarchy. No single day passes that they are not reminded of their 'place' as women & of their value that is measured only by their ability to be wives & mothers (preferably to sons).

Etaf Rum tells of a tale that is not new to many Women of Color but she does it in a way that despite being heartbreaking, still feels fresh & gripping. This book is so much needed because it not only informs but also inspires. It reminded me of my own privilege & challenged me to do something worthwhile with it while also holding space for those that need it.

When wars & military invasions are written about in history books, the information that is given significance is who won & who lost the war. There is very little if any documentation on the emotional trauma that such wars have on the people existing in these places. This book gives names & faces to the 'collateral damage' that the Vietnam war left in its trail as we see the characters grappling with the decisions that they made or were made that continue to impact their lives.

A story of abandonment, trauma, love, grief, forgiveness & redemption & one that is much needed especially now in the current time that we find ourselves in.

All these boys wanted to do was to fish, that’s all. But in a twisted way, fate decided to alter their lives in the most unpredictable manner, even though someone actually predicted their future.

A story on brotherhood, vengeance, fate, family, loss that 'undid' me & that will stay with me for a long long time.

Have you ever had a #bookhangover after finishing reading a book? A “book hangover” is described as the feeling when a reader finishes a book—usually fiction—and they can’t stop thinking about the fictional world that has run out of pages. The story is over, but the reader misses the characters or the atmosphere of the novel.

That is exactly how I felt (& still feel) after I was done reading this book. And the weird thing is that I was the one rushing from one page to the next because I needed to find out what happens to the 2 sisters, Vianne & Isabel as they live through the Second World War in France. A story about courage, humanity, resistance & love that took different forms for each of the 2 sisters. I should have taken my sweet time with the book & savoured each & every sentence but you know what, that’s what #rereads are for. This truly is an exquisite piece of writing that I would highly recommend.

Am usually very wary of reviewing YA books because I believe that I am not their target audience. One one hand the parent in me comes out & I find myself 'scolding' the characters for not acting 'responsibly' while on the other hand, I feel like hugging them & telling them that life will get better with time. And that’s exactly how I felt while reading this book. 2 teenagers of Pakistani descent who find themselves in a small town in the middle of nowhere in the US where they have to deal not only with 'teenage stuff' but also racism, abuse, family trauma.

TW; this book was a really heavy & heartbreaking read. Those poor kids were dealing with so much. Go in prepared psychologically if you pick this up.

A coming of age story of a young man as he explores the complexities of love & identity in a society that refuses to acknowledge him. This is a debut book that is not only relevant but also necessary, as it provides a voice to those who are often silenced.

I absolutely loved the writing style & the way in which Obiefuna's self-discovery journey is portrayed. And even when it was painful & we saw him living with the fear of rejection, violence & loss of loved ones, the author still managed to give us glimpses of joy in the MC's life. There are joyful moments of connection & love despite the oppressive environment & we could not help but appreciate the importance of the close relationship that he had with his mother & later, how he found community & love in the 'hidden queer community' in Nigeria.

The book is just as great as its cover

If you spend time online then you have probably seen a video clip of individuals popping balloons as a sign of rejecting a relationship proposition. And of course most of these clips are performed/acted. But just imagine this being the reality of a curvy Black woman out there in the current dating world.

Aaliyah is soon turning 30 & is determined to have a significant other in time for her big birthday celebration. And even as a beautiful & confident curvy Black women with a good head on her shoulders, she cannot escape the misogyny, fatphobia, lies & fetishization that comes with online dating. But with the help of good friends, discernment & an unexpected love interest, she is able to examine her life & come face to face with some personal issues that she needed to resolve in her life.

A spicy

Once in a while, I pick up a self-help book, especially at the beginning of the year when I am vision boarding & writing down my goals for the year. Halfway through reading this book I realized that there’s nothing new that she was telling me. Maybe her method of delivery is different (use of curse words) but there is nothing in here that I haven’t heard before on a free Podcast or on a YouTube video. Save your coins & time on this one.