The Kingdom of Back - Marie Lu

Initial draw: ✰✰✰✰

Character development: ✰✰✰✰✰

Plot/Writing style: ✰✰✰✰

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Born with a gift for music, Nannerl Mozart has just one wish: to be remembered forever. But even as she delights audiences with her masterful playing, she has little hope she'll ever become the acclaimed composer she longs to be. She is a young woman in eighteenth-century Europe, and that means composing is forbidden to her. She will perform only until she reaches a marriageable age - her tyrannical father has made that much clear.

As Nannerl's hope grows dimmer with each passing year, the talents of her beloved younger brother, Wolfgang, only seem to shine brighter. His brilliance begins to eclipse her own, until one day a mysterious stranger from a magical land appears with an irresistible offer. He has the power to make her wish come true - but his help may cost her everything."

This was an emotional read for me for reasons unrelated to the book itself. I received a copy through a book subscription box a little less than a year ago, shortly after learning that someone close to me (I don't want to use her real name, so I'll call her Amy) had passed away. When I opened the box and saw it my first thought was, "I need to text Amy, she would love this!" I knew I wouldn't be able to read this without thinking of her the whole time, so it took a while before I was ready to pick it up. Now that I have, though, I am happy to report that I remain confident Amy would indeed have loved this book.

The premise of this story is one that will always be appealing to me -  a young woman in a situation where women are supposed to live quiet, undistinguished, obedient lives pushes back, determined to set herself apart and be remembered. Nannerl is talented, passionate, and committed to leaving her mark on the world, whatever it takes. She's also conflicted - both proud of her brother, with whom she is very close, and envious of his talent and how readily people praise and encourage his skill. She wants him to succeed, and she is glad for him when she does, but she is also a bit jealous that it's so easy for him to be accepted as a great compose and musician when it's so far out of her reach simply because she is a woman. For Wolferl's part, he doesn't seem to understand these arbitrary standards either. As a matter of fact, enamored with his sister's talent for composing, Wolferl is her greatest supporter and even finds ways to help her compose in secret.

Marie Lu's character building was excellent, and I loved watching Nannerl's relationship with Wolferl develop as they spent more time in the mysterious Kingdom of Back. Just as lovely was the imagery of the fantasy world weaved within their real world. I think even if I hadn't enjoyed the story of Nannerl's struggles with her father, her experiences performing, and all the rest of the real-world narrative, I would have loved this book solely for the incredible imagery of the Kingdom. This book is just so beautiful, inside and out. The cover is gorgeous, it's got silver sprayed edges...it's an entire visual experience.

Finally, if I had to pick my single most favorite thing about The Kingdom of Back, it would be that it inspires curiosity. I love a book that makes you want to keep learning, and the further I got into Nannerl's story, the more I wanted to research the real Nannerl. In her author's note, Marie Lu even recommends Mozart: A Life by Maynard Solomon as a starting point, so shout out to her for knowing that readers would need more after reading her beautiful story! I can't wait to learn more about this amazing, talented woman.

TBR - Autistic Authors

I've been trying to make sure the books I'm adding to my To Be Read list are Own Voices stories whenever possible, and since April is Autism Acceptance Month, I decided to share some of the authors I'm looking forward to reading who are sharing authentic representations of main characters who also happen to be autistic. Are there authors I missed that you would have included in this list? If so, share in the comments!

1. Corinne Duyvis - On the Edge of Gone and Otherbound

Science Fiction, own voices representation, and queer characters...Corinne Duyvis ticks pretty much all the boxes for me. I'm looking forward to reading these dystopian adventures.

2. Helen Hoang - The Kiss Quotient series

For Stella Lane, math brings order to her universe. She likes things to make sense, to be predictable, and romance meets neither requirement. Finally, she decides to the solution to her lack of understanding in this arena is to practice in a low-risk setting - by hiring an escort. Will practicing with her new research partner help her make sense of romance and dating?

3. Mike Jung - The Boys in the Back Row

In this middle grade novel, two best friends hatch plans for a final epic adventure before one of them moves away.

4. Kay Kerr - Please Don't Hug Me

What happens when you let go of other people's expectations and learn how to just be yourself? Erin, after a few bumps in the road in the form of a lost job, failed driving test, and floundering relationships is about to find out.

5. Sally J. Pla - The Someday Birds

During a road trip across the country to visit his injured father, Charlie is on a mission - a bird-watching mission. If he can spot all the birds he and his dad had planned to look for, maybe everything with this injury will turn out okay... 

6. Kaia Sønderby - Failure to Communicate

Another queer science fiction author, yes please! This story centers around vital alliances, sabotage, assassination attemps, and other such political intrigue within the Starsystems Alliance.

7. Jen Wilde - Queens of Geek

Three friends, wildly different from each other, attending SupaCon, getting over exes, and finding the courage to take risks. 

And finally, an honorable mention, since it's an anthology and I consequently wasn't sure where/how to list it by author. All the Weight of Our Dreams is a collection of poetry, short fiction, essays, artwork, and more created by Black, Brown, Latinx, Indigenous, Mixed-Race, and people of color from autistic communities. It's the first anthology of its kind, and it looks amazing!

Top Ten May New Releases

There are lots of books coming out in May, y'all. I started making note of potential titles for my top ten and was like ok, I'm up to fifteen, that won't be too hard to cut...uhh alright, now I've got twenty...ummmmm there are thirty now...

So yeah, it got a little painful to trim this month's list down to only ten. I did it though, and I'm not even cheating with any honorable mentions or anything. I'm equal parts proud of myself and haunted by some of the books I ended up cutting. Here they are, though, my most anticipated YA for next month!

1. All Kinds of Other by James Sie - May 4th

2. Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney - May 4th

3. Indivisible by Daniel Aleman - May 4th

4. Where the Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass - May 11th

5. From Little Tokyo, With Love by Sarah Kuhn - May 11th

6. May the Best Man Win by Z.R. Ellor - May 18th

7. Made in Korea by Sarah Suk - May 18th

8. Off the Record by Camryn Garrett - May 18th

9. Perfectly Parvin by Olivia Abtahi - May 18th

10. Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar - May 25th

Pacifica - Kristen Simmons

Initial draw: ✰✰✰✰
Character development: ✰✰
Plot/Writing style: ✰✰✰

Audiobook narration: ✰✰✰
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"For too long our people have suffered, plagued by overcrowding, disease, and lack of work. We have only just survived for too long. Now we must take the next step and thrive. Pacifica. A new beginning. Blue skies. Green grass. Clear ocean water. An island paradise like the ones that existed before the Melt. 

A lucky five hundred lottery winners will be the first to go, the first to leave their polluted, dilapidated homes behind and start a new life. It sounds perfect. Like a dream. The only problem? Marin Carey spent her childhood on those seas and knows there's no island paradise out there. She's corsario royalty, a pirate like her father and his father before him, and she knows a con when she sees one. So where are the First Five Hundred really going?"

I wanted really badly to love this book. The premise is interesting and very relevant right now, there's an introduction from the author that talks about her inspiration for the story being the internment of Japanese Americans in the United States, and I went into it expecting to be blown away. Then I spent about three quarters of the book trying to force myself to get into it. And finally, I gave up. I can't put my finger on what exactly it is about the book that didn't do it for me - more than anything, it just felt like a story that didn't quite know what to do with itself or where it wanted to go. Even when it comes to a synopsis, there doesn't seem to be a consensus, because there's the synopsis I included above, and then there's this alternate synopsis from Goodreads:

"Marin is corsario royalty, a pirate like her father and his father before him. Sailing the ocean to chase adventure is in her blood. But these days no one cares that the island town her people call home is named after her grandfather. They have a new leader, one who promises an end to their hunger – and one who thinks that girls are meant for the kitchen or the brothel. Marin knows she's meant for more than that, and with the sudden influx of weapons on the island, and rumors of a pending deal with the enemy oil nation in her wake, she knows a big score to gain the council's favor is the only way to save her people, and herself.

Ross lives a life of privilege. As the president's son he wants for nothing, but he longs for a life of adventure. On a dare, he convinces his best friend Adam to sneak out to the Docks, the site of local race riots between the poor Shorlings and the upper class. But when Adam is arrested along with the other Shorlings, and not even the president is willing to find him, Ross finds himself taking matters into his own hands. He journeys back into the Docks, ready to make deals with anyone, even a beautiful pirate, if it means Adam's safe return.

When Marin and Ross meet in dangerous Shoreling territory he sees a way to get his friend back and she sees her ticket home. The ransom a president’s son would command could feed her people for years and restore her family’s legacy. But somewhere in the middle of the ocean, Marin must decide if her heart can handle handing over the only person who has ever seen her as more than a pirate."

So...is this book about people being disappeared to a mysterious island that doesn't actually exist? Or is it about Marin finding a place with the corsarios and Ross tracking down his friend? This is a genuine question, because I read a lot of this book and I am still not sure, and I'm not convinced that Kristen Simmons knew for sure either. The plot, like these dueling synopses, was scattered, and that made it hard to nail down the driving action and actually care about anything that was going on. The characters suffered a similar fate - it wasn't clear what they were actually working toward from one moment to the next, and at times I felt a little bit like I had started reading in the middle of the book because there's so little development. Either synopsis would have made a great story, but both of them together was too muddled for me. Which is a bummer, because who doesn't want to read a dystopian novel about a badass woman pirate?

TBR - Earth Day

Did y'all know Thursday is Earth Day? If not, you do now! Earth Day was always one of my favorite days to plan programming around when I was working, so in addition to today's environmentally-themed Tuesday Books Recs, I'm including a bonus recommendation of a great resource for upcycled kids' crafts, TheCraftTrain.com. This is one of my go-to blogs for activities of all varieties, but some of my particular favorites are her egg carton crafts. Please, please make yourself an egg carton monster and share your pictures with me! I love them so much.

Now, on to the books!

American War by Omar El Akkad - This debut novel centers around a second Civil War in the United States, during which the main character and her family are relocated to a camp for displaced individuals. 

Bayou Magic by Jewell Parker Rhodes - This is the third book in the Louisiana Girls trilogy, although I don't believe this is a trilogy that strictly needs to be read in order. It combines folk magic with a coming-of-age story centering around main character Maddy's reaction after an oil leak in the bayou.

Love After the End edited by Joshua Whitehead - This is an anthology of short stories featuring Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer characters that encompasses multiple genres, including queer romance, dystopia, and science fiction.

Orleans by Sherri L. Smith - Orleans picks up after a series of disasters, first hurricanes and then a devastating illness, has decimated the Gulf Coast. The area is now under quarantine, and many outside believe life inside the quarantined area has basically died out. What they don't realize is that a new society is actually flourishing - one that thrives on the trade of blood.

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler - Look, I can't give a better summary than the first sentence in the book description on Goodreads: "In 2025, with the world descending into madness and anarchy, one woman begins a fateful journey toward a better future." CHILLS. (Also, 2025 is four years from now. What the FUCK.)

The Poisoned City by Anna Clark - A non-fiction account of the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, which started in 2014 and has still not completely been resolved.

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson - An environmental classic! This non-fiction account of the impact of chemicals like DDT on the environment was originally published in 1962 and is, depressingly, still relevant today.

We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom and Michaela Goade - This beautifully illustrated picture book is a call to action to safeguard the Earth's water, inspired by Indigenous-led movements in what is now known as North America.

Weekend Library Loot

Books for days! I've been aiming for roughly one library trip each month, but I had to divvy up my trips this time around because (gaaaaaaasp!) I had too many books on hold.

For my first trip, I actually managed to return the same number of books I picked up - a fairly easy victory, since I only picked up five books, but a victory nonetheless!

Haul number one:

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
Disability Visibility by Alice Wong

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

Rising Strong by Brene Brown

Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

For my second trip, I did not do so well. I picked up I think ten or eleven books total (not all pictured here, sorry!) and returned a dismal total of...two. Fortunately, as you can see, most of this haul was picture books, in preparation for my earlier Unicorn Day post, so I got through those pretty quickly. 😉

Titles from this haul:

Do Better: Spiritual Activism for Fighting and Healing from White Supremacy by Rachel Ricketts

Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less by Tiffany Dufu

Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America by Ijeoma Oluo

I Love My Llamacorn by Danielle McClean

Little Unicorn is Angry by Aurelie Chien Chow Chine

Hello, My Name is Octicorn by Kevin Diller and Justin Lowe

I Am A Unicorn! by Michaela Schuett

You Don't Want a Unicorn! by Ame Dyckman and Liz Climo

Unicorn Club by Suzy Senior and Leire Martin

Not Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima

You know, when I worked at the library I used to buy a lot more books, and whenever people checked out a high number of items I would marvel at it because it stressed me out to have more than two or three books checked out at once. Now that I'm not working, I've cut down on my book buying, and currently I have twenty-seven books checked out. Happy to report that it is not as hard to keep track of everything as I expected it to be - although I do need to start finishing library books a little faster, or I'm going to hit my limit soon!

Gone Camping - A series of brief reviews

That's right, I've gone camping! This will be me this weekend:

Since I'm off in the wilderness, I figured I'd share a bit about some of the books I've finished recently, rather than a full review of one book. Hopefully this retreat to the wilderness will mean plenty of reading time so I'll have reviews for the weeks to come! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this series of brief reviews.

🕸    🕸    🕸

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky and Tristan Strong Destroys the World by Kwame Mbalia

I loved both of these, and I can't wait for the final book in the trilogy. For fans of Rick Riordan, his "Rick Riordan Presents" imprint is doing a great job of amplifying voices like Kwame Mbalia's and sharing legends and folktales that often get less attention than things like Greek mythology. This trilogy features African legends, and it was such a delight to have these stories brought to life through Tristan's adventures. Plus the cover art. 😍 Perfection.

❄    ❄    ❄

Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp

Corey is away at school, just days from returning home to Lost Creek for winter break, when she learns that her best friend, Kyra, has died. When her mom breaks the news, she suggests that Kyra may have died by suicide, but Corey is suspicious, and after She returns to Lost Creek, the more time she spends there the more convinced she becomes that something terrible happened to her friend. I'll be honest, the plot for this story was a little predictable, but it was still delightfully eerie, and I give it bonus points for its laid back LGBTQIA representation.

👑    👑    👑

Three Dark Crowns tetralogy by Kendare Blake

I posted about this for my first Books and Bites post, but that was before I finished the final book, so I wanted to shout out the entire series now that I know for sure it's excellent from start to finish. This tetralogy is a roller coaster, and it gave me a lot of feelings! Also, I have to give props to Kendare Blake for her character development. Amazing.

✍    ✍    ✍

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

C-c-c-c-c-c-combo breaker! I took a break from my typical YA and Middle Grade reading after watching the first season of Firefly Lane on Netflix to read the book, because I did not want to wait for a second season to find out about the cliffhanger we were left on. Of course, my attempt at circumventing the suspense backfired because, SHOCKER, the book was vastly different from the TV show! I know, who would ever have guessed? I have enjoyed Kristin Hannah in the past (hi, Nightingale), but this book didn't do it for me. I don't want to spoil anything for people, but Kate's storyline was a huge bummer for me. Apparently there's a second book in this series, but I'm passing on taking that journey.

🛋    🛋    🛋

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb

The combo was already broken, so I figured I would sneak this one in as well. It's narrative non-fiction about a therapist, weaving together her experiences therapizing other people and her experiences going to therapy herself. I thought this was a lovely book, and it made me cry a lot more than I expected it to, in happy ways and sad. I highly recommend it.

TBR - Poetry

Historically I have not been much of a poetry reader, and I've been thinking about that recently. I took poetry classes (reading AND writing - I'm sure I still have a notebook of my poems tucked away somewhere) while getting my undergrad, and I enjoyed it. I also love authors like Elizabeth Acevedo who write novels in verse, so...why do I not read more poetry? I DON'T KNOW! But National Poetry Month seems like the perfect time to resolve to introduce more of it into my reading, and a Tuesday Book Recs post seems like the perfect way to invite y'all to join me. Below are twelve books I'm planning on reading - some are collections of poems, some are novels written in verse, all promise to be amazing.

1. The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta - The story of a young man exploring his identity and embracing what makes him unique

2. Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings by Joy Harjo - A collection of poems about the experiences of everyday life and the politics of being human

3. The Crossover by Kwame Alexander - The story of two brothers, both talented basketball players, one a burgeoning musician, both learning about what growing up means

4. Everybody Looking by Candice Iloh - An autobiographical novel about a young woman creating a place for herself in a world that is not terribly hospitable to black female bodies 

5. Favor of Crows by Gerald Vizenor - A collection of haikus structured around the four seasons

6. Monument by Natasha Trethewey - A collection of poems longlisted for the 2018 National Book Award for Poetry and awarded the 2020 Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize

7. Muted by Tami Charles - Reminiscent of Enchanted's story in Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson, this verse novel tells the story of a young musician, just starting out, who gets caught in the orbit of a more powerful, not necessarily well-intentioned male musician

8. Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca - A middle grade novel about an Indian American girl coming to terms with her mother's leukemia diagnosis

9. Split Tooth by Tanya Tagaq - A combination of poetry and prose, telling the story of a young woman navigating a surprise pregnancy in the 1970s

10. A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman - A novel in verse about a young girl in India trying to regain her passion for dance

11. Wade in the Water by Tracy K. Smith - Tracy K. Smith is the Poet Laureate of the United States, and this book of poetry ties contemporary American experiences with the nation's history

12. Whereas by Layli Long Soldier - This book of poetry is an examination of US history and colonization, turning the coercive, duplicitous language of government colonizers back on them

B&B - Fangirling over pumpkin mocha breve

Well, I included Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell on my puppies and coffee Tuesday Book Recs list in March, and then I couldn't get it out of my brain. I was on some crummy meds for a bit, and both taking them and coming off of them ended up being a challenging journey, so I decided to do another Fangirl reread while I was laying around on the couch "on standby for feeling better," as my husband put it. And if I'm going to do a reread, why not also attempt making Levi's pumpkin mocha breve?  Disclaimer: I am NOT skilled when it comes to making coffee drinks. I can use a French press, I can somewhat pull off a cappuccino, but the skills end there. I managed to find three recipes, though, and I tested them all to ensure I was drinking the best version of Levi's signature concoction possible, within my limited skillset.

So, recipes! First off, we have an espresso-based drink modified from witchy-kitchen.com. I brewed a double shot of espresso, combined it with one tablespoon of cocoa powder, one tablespoon pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and sugar, and then added steamed milk. This option was...ok. It was not as sweet as the others, so if you're not a fan of sweet coffee drinks but looking for something with a little flavor, it might be a good option. My biggest issue was that the spices didn't want to fully incorporate, so it was a tiny bit gritty. I take full blame for that. 😂

Next up is a chai-based option inspired by a Starbucks version shared on fanbows.tumblr.com. I do not have access to a Starbucks or any of their resources, so I had to improvise. I used a masala chai concentrate as a base, heated it up on the stove, and combined it with a spoonful of pumpkin puree, some pumpkin spice, and chocolate sauce. Fill a mug a little less than halfway with this concoction, then add steamed milk. Fair warning, this option is super sweet, and (shocker) very chai-y. Tasty, though!

And finally, a combination chai/espresso courtesy of rivermoosebooks.wordpress.com. I included a spoonful of pumpkin puree along with the spices and such, and I omitted the whipped cream and sprinkling of cinnamon and cocoa powder, but otherwise I followed their recipe. This one was good but very chocolatey. If you're not looking for as much chocolate, you can dial the cocoa powder back a bit, or if you're doing what I did and taste-testing multiple recipes, you can top off the chai-based drink above with some of this for the perfect combination. 

Five Little Indians - Michelle Good

Initial draw: ✰✰✰✰✰

Character development: ✰✰✰✰✰

Plot/Writing style: ✰✰✰✰
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Taken from their families when they are very small and sent to a remote, church-run residential school, Kenny, Lucy, Clara, Howie and Maisie are barely out of childhood when they are finally released after years of detention.

Alone and without any skills, support or families, the teens find their way to the seedy and foreign world of Downtown Eastside Vancouver, where they cling together, striving to find a place of safety and belonging in a world that doesn't want them. The paths of the five friends cross and crisscross over the decades as they struggle to overcome, or at least forget, the trauma they endured during their years at the Mission.

Fueled by rage and furious with God, Clara finds her way into the dangerous, highly charged world of the American Indian Movement. Maisie internalizes her pain and continually places herself in dangerous situations. Famous for his daring escapes from the school, Kenny can't stop running and moves restlessly from job to job - through fishing grounds, orchards, and logging camps - trying to outrun his memories and his addiction. Lucy finds peace in motherhood and nurtures a secret compulsive disorder as she waits for Kenny to return to the life they once hoped to share together. After almost beating one of his tormentors to death, Howie serves time in prison, then tries once again to re-enter society and begin life anew.

With compassion and insight, Five Little Indians chronicles the desperate quest of these residential school survivors to come to terms with their past and, ultimately, find a way forward."

Kenny, Lucy, Clara, Howie, and Maisie, although different ages, all overlapped in their time at the residential school each of them was stolen from their families and forced to attend. After helping Howie escape, Kenny manages to get away himself. Howie goes to the United States with his mom to avoid being caught and sent back, and Kenny goes back to his mom's house for a bit before heading out on his own to try to make a living. Clara and Maisie are released before Lucy, so when she finally gets out after turning sixteen, she joins them in Vancouver, where the three work off the books at a seedy hotel for less than minimum wage. Despite the differences in the paths each of them has taken, they are all united in their attempts to process the trauma they experienced while imprisoned at the Mission.

This book pulls you in from the first page. There is no easing the reader into the story - immediately, we find ourselves in the world of these kids, who are being abused in the false name of education (a.k.a. assimilating to colonizer culture) at the hands of religious figures. And while the characters are referred to as men and women after they are released back into the world, don't forget that they are kids. The youngest woman at the start of the story is only sixteen, the other four are not much older, and after being forced to attend residential school and missing out on a real education, they are on their own, trying to process a decade of trauma, and learning how to survive in an unfamiliar world. 

As I'm sure you can piece together, this is not a light or an easy read, but it is an important one. It bravely shines a light on something that white history has tried to pretend never happened and spotlights the resiliency and courage of the families and children who were torn apart by their government - resiliency and courage they should never have had to develop. I strongly recommend that you read this book, particularly if you are unfamiliar with the history of residential schools in the United States and Canada.

TBR - National Unicorn Day

So last year, my work squad and I had like...a mind-blowing lineup of programs planned leading up to (and through!) our Summer Reading Program. It was going to be amazing, and I'm not sure if I had ever been happier with my work or more excited for upcoming programming. Looking back, I can't help but feel like my unchecked optimism and enthusiasm may have inadvertently contributed to the shit show that the past year has been? If so, I am very sorry to all of you who have suffered due to my unallowable level of happiness. My optimism and enthusiasm have since then been very thoroughly put in check, I assure you.

Anyway, if you're wondering how this is relevant to a Tuesday Book Recs post, wonder no longer. One of the programs my team had to cancel was a celebration of National Unicorn Day, and I know I wasn't the only person heartbroken at not being able to celebrate such a magical day. When I was brainstorming possible topics for today's post, I realized that National Unicorn Day was approaching once more (it's April 9th, get ready!) and figured hey, I don't have to be working and programming the way I was dreaming of in early 2020 to enjoy National Unicorn Day! I can do it right here, on my blog, with crafts and book ideas. If you'd like to join me in celebrating, I invite you to try one (or all!) of the below craft ideas and maybe check out a picture book or two. 

First, the crafts!

Craft 1: Painted handprint unicorn cards

I got this idea from theresourcefulmama.com, and I have to acknowledge that the results are much more adorable with tiny hands than with mine, but I worked with what I had. For this craft, I used a sheet of printer paper folded in half, paint and a couple brushes, a blunt needle, yarn, and scissors. I painted my hand with a foam brush, pressed it onto the paper, and then used a smaller brush to add hooves and the unicorn horn. After a little time to dry, I used a blunt needle to poke a few holes in the paper and add yarn for a mane and tail. Super simple, super cute, minimal supplies required - that's a craft win for me!

Craft 2: Origami heart unicorn

Inspiration for this one brought to you by willowday.net! I don't have any origami paper, so I used a full sheet of colored paper for the whole thing. I cut a square out to make an origami heart (there are instructions included on willowday for one version, but I used these instead), and then I used the extra strip of paper to cut out an ear, horn, and hair. You can choose a preferred coloring implement to add some flair, then glue each piece onto the heart, and voila! Unicorn magic. And for any readers who may not be super confident with origami, rest easy - I am terrible at origami, and this was easy peasy. I hope all my friends are prepared to receive origami heart unicorn bookmarks for Christmas.

Craft 3: Felt unicorns

I lured you in with the two simple crafts, and now I'm hitting you with one that takes a little more effort! I got the instructions for this one from thatkidscraftsite.com, and while it takes a little more legwork, it's pretty straightforward. The site includes a template for all the pieces and step-by-step instructions on how to piece everything together, so follow along and enjoy! I joked about making everyone origami heart unicorns for Christmas, but for real...expect these as gifts, because I'm in love. 

And now, the books!

1. Almost Everybody Farts by Marty Kelley - Your grandma farts, your teachers fart, and even magical creatures like unicorns fart...but do moms fart?!

2. Hello, My Name is Octicorn by Kevin Diller and Justin Lowe - Half octopus and half unicorn, Octicorn finds it 100% hard to fit in.

3. How to Catch a Unicorn by Adam Wallace - If you dream of owning a mythical pet of your very own, you need this guide for how to ensnare a unicorn! 

4. I Am a Unicorn! by Michaela Schuett - With a sparkly tail and a beautiful horn, what else could Frog be besides a unicorn?

5. I Love my Llamacorn by Danielle McLean - What do you get when you combine a llama with a unicorn? Your new best friend!

6. Little Unicorn is Angry by Aurelie Chien Chow Chine - Part of a whole series in which Little Unicorn learns to feel and process his emotions.

7. Not Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima - Kelp grew up in the ocean and always thought he was a narwhal, but when he meets some land narwhals that seem to have a lot in common with him, he starts to wonder if maybe...he just might be a unicorn.

8. Unicorn Club by Suzy Senior - Amy is disappointed when no one comes to her Unicorn Club...but then she returns to her treehouse to discover that it is full of actual unicorns!

9. Unicorns Are Real by Holly Hatam - Learn all the facts about unicorns and how they maintain their sparkle with this colorful, informative unicorn handbook.

10. You Don't Want a Unicorn by Ame Dyckman and Liz Climo - A little boy makes a wish for a unicorn, but when that wish is granted he discovers having a unicorn of your very own might be more than he bargained for.

Reading harder, three months in

We're a quarter of the way through 2021, and my foray into Book Riot's Read Harder challenge has been pretty enjoyable so far. While my March fanfiction selection didn't manage to win me over, I loved Five Little Indians (review coming soon!), and I'm working my way through Love After the End and enjoying it just as much. Now, on to April!

#7: Read a fat positive romance

After some contemplation, I'm going with Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert for this one. Also added to my list for later reading is Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade and Their Troublesome Crush by Xan West, which actually ticks both challenge boxes for this month, woo! (Side note, I really need to come up with a better way to organize my To Be Read list, because it is problematically massive and unwieldy.)

#8: Read a romance by a trans/non-binary author

This was a tough one to narrow down, and I'll definitely be reading more than one book under this heading, but the one I'm starting with is Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender. After hunting the interwebs for books with polyamorous representation not that long ago, though, I also have to shout out Sugar Town by Hazel Newlevant and Next Year, For Sure by Zoey Leigh Peterson - how in the world did these not pop up in my quest for polyamorous characters?! Very excited to read both.

Anyway, those are my reading challenge plans for April! What books would you choose?

Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors - Sonali Dev

Initial draw: ✰✰✰✰✰
Character development: ✰✰
Plot/Writing style: ✰✰

Audiobook narration: ✰✰
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that only in an overachieving Indian American family can a genius daughter be considered a black sheep.

Dr. Trisha Raje is San Francisco's most acclaimed neurosurgeon. But that's not enough for the Rajes, her influential immigrant family who's achieved power by making its own non-negotiable rules: never trust an outsider; never do anything to jeopardize your brother's political aspirations; and never, ever, defy your family. Trisha is guilty of breaking all three rules. But now she has a chance to redeem herself. So long as she doesn't repeat old mistakes.

Up-and-coming chef DJ Caine has known people like Trisha before, people who judge him by his rough beginnings and place pedigree above character. He needs the lucrative job the Rajes offer, but he values his pride too much to indulge Trisha's arrogance. And then he discovers that she's the only surgeon who can save his sister's life. As the two class, their assumptions crumble like the spun sugar on one of DJ's stunning desserts. But before a future can be savored there's a past to be reckoned with...

A family trying to build home in a new land.

A man who has never felt at home anywhere.

And a choice to be made between the two."

Now that I've finished this book, the description seems wildly inaccurate to me. Trisha doesn't strike me as in any way the black sheep of the family. The book does open with a pretty early reference to her estrangement from her family; however, it is pretty quickly revealed that it's a mutual decision, and even early on we have indications that her lack of involvement with her family is more her choice (at least in the case of her siblings and mother) than theirs. Whatever the case, though, Trisha has just begun to make contact with her family again at the start of the book when she meets DJ while invading his catering kitchen during an event and immediately makes a horrible first impression. Things progress in true Pride and Prejudice fashion from there, with both Trisha and DJ firmly convinced that the other person is terrible. For what it's worth, I stood firmly on DJ's side...but that may have been because all the descriptions of his food made me want to eat it all.

I know I joked about things progressing just like Pride and Prejudice, but in actuality it didn't seem to be very closely based off of the classic story, and I can't decide if I liked that it was a looser interpretation or not. Frankly, if I hadn't known going into it that it was supposed to be a "retelling" I wouldn't have guessed that it was, and part of me feels like if they hadn't started with that premise, this would have been a better book. Specifically, the way Wickham was shoehorned in felt a little too melodramatic to me - she read like a soap opera villain, and that storyline was hard to take seriously, not to mention horribly problematic and cringeworthy. Beyond that, Trisha and her dad are also fairly terrible, and most of the characters are one-note and underdeveloped. It seemed like the author was trapped between wanting to retell a classic and wanting to write a completely original story, and the middle ground ended up...dissatisfying. 

As far as the plot, not only was it lackluster, it was full to bursting with ableism. Remember that bit in the cover summary about how Trisha is the only surgeon who can save DJ's sister's life? Well, the surgery that can do that will cause Emma to lose her sight, so Emma staunchly refuses to have the surgery done because...that's right...she would rather literally die than be blind. I did not love that, and I loved it even less when a. after initially being told the surgery would damage her optic nerves she wasn't given any kind of social worker support or connected with anyone to talk through her options and b. nothing developed from there. We find out that Emma doesn't want the surgery, and then we spend like three-quarters of the book going back and forth between Trisha at the hospital thinking about being around food and arguing with DJ, Trisha being with DJ arguing, or DJ being by himself cooking, thinking about what a bitch Trisha is, and worrying about how he'll pay for Emma's (unwanted) medical procedure. Then all of a sudden at the very end of the book they're like HOLD UP, wait, we love each other! I mean I know that happens in the original Pride and Prejudice, but this felt MUCH more abrupt and, frankly, pretty forced and unexplainable, because Trisha is unbearable. 

Clunky and ableist overall plot aside, there were also a couple super weird plot points included that I could not make heads or tails of. There are multiple dramatic references to how Trisha was "burned" as a child, for instance, which is basically how they excuse her being an unmitigated douche when she first meets DJ, because the extreme trauma of the experience led to her having horrible anxiety in kitchens. But then the burning story is ultimately revealed to have been like a few tiny drops of hot oil landing on her while learning how to cook something. I'm sorry but...what? Maybe it's because I was expecting a Bend It Like Beckham-esque something caught on fire and I had to get a skin graft story, or maybe it's because I have a sick burn scar wrapping halfway around my wrist from spilling bacon grease on my arm, but with the level of emphasis given to the "burning," a couple splatters of oil did not sell it for me. There was also a long, ongoing scene at the end of the book where Trisha lost a contact but refused to be seen in her "spectacles" that I could not stop rolling my eyes at. Christ on a cracker, Trisha, just put your fucking glasses on.

And finally, we have arrived at the audiobook narration, which was not my favorite. I could have lived with it at first, but then we got to DJ. Some context - Trisha grew up in California and speaks in a fairly nondescript American accent. DJ and Emma are from England and speak with British accents. And here's where the accents make things weird: the narrator speaks in a British accent for spoken dialogue coming from DJ or Emma, but does not use the accent for internal dialogue coming from DJ. And maybe this is something I should be able to move past, but it's super weird hearing an American accent say things like "he felt like a right arse" or "you are fecking unbelievable." It definitely took me out of it, and I have to give first prize to Trisha's feet "finding purchase on his arse" at the end of the book, because I could not stop laughing when I heard that. The narrator is obviously capable of pulling off a British accent, so why not just use it anytime you're reading from DJ's perspective? Or better yet, get a British person to read his character? Bleh.

Ultimately, I wouldn't say this was a bad book, necessarily, but as you can tell from my rating breakdown at the top, the biggest thing it has going for it is the initial draw. You could read the first quarter and then skip to the end, I guess. Or you could look into one of the books below instead.

Alternate Pride and Prejudice retellings to check out:

• Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalalluddin
• Pride by Ibi Zoboi
• Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal

Other books featuring Indian American main characters to try:

• Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi
• Love, Hate, and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed
• Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani
• When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Throwback Thursday - 200th post!

Oh my god, it's my 200th post?! This kind of snuck up on me! Such a journey, from like two reviews in 2015 to this powerhouse of a blog. 🤣 It's also my sister and brother-in-law's anniversary, so double celebration!

On this most auspicious of days, I figured we could reminisce on some of my favorite books reviewed in April, starting with Unearthed by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner and The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis from 2018. The first is a dystopian sci-fi adventure, book one of a duology, and the second is a super dark examination of rape culture and justice. Wildly different...equally excellent.

In 2019 my April was a bit lazy, but I still managed to review Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens edited by Marieke Nijkamp, which really made me want more disabled rep in the books I read. Come on, publishers! Give us more!

April 2020 was a dark time, as we all know, so my reviews were a little lacking. It isn't a review, but since I'm sure many of us could use a little snuggle from our book friends, I'm going to revisit my "Books That Feel Like a Hug" list. If I were redoing the list now, there are a couple I would omit (looking at you, #6), but you can't go wrong with most of them. (Not going to lie, there are several I've been daydreaming about revisiting! Maybe this is the nudge I need.)

And now...here we are. April 2021. So many reviews to come. What literary horizons will the future lead us toward? I suppose there's only one way to find out...