Milk Blood Heat | 
Visited 5 book stores yesterday for #independentbookstoreday (and AtX is truly blessed because that is just a fraction of local indie booksellers - plus we didn‘t even go to the biggest one tbh)… definitely over indulged (pictured is a sampling of my #bookhaul lol)
Great time was had and am looking forward to all of these books!
pickThis was a quick summer read that I really enjoyed. I love a great book of short stories. The characters were interesting and dynamic. As well as the themes of womanhood, family, loss, adolescents, and identity.
Because there‘s never a bad time to read a new book 📕
pickSome of these stories hit for me and some missed, but overall a solid collection. I like reading Florida stories set in northern Florida for a change, and I like the way Moniz portrays the rich and conflicted inner lives of her characters, how self and culture and family intersect and sometimes conflict. I started with the audio, which had hardly a pause between stories, and I was glad to have the print to clear up the boundaries. #gettbr
pickA few months and a different day made a huge difference in my feelings about these short stories. They went from a so-so to a solid pick. I think there‘s a redemptive darkness in her characters. They‘re in touch with the best and worst in themselves, which makes for interesting writing!
pickI LOVED this collection. Every single one of these stories was sharp and visceral and disturbing. I didn‘t know how anything would live up to the first story but they kept delivering, I cannot wait to read more from this author.
pickI love short stories and this collection is a perfect example of why. Concise, compact and moving, each story develops character and moves the plot in a quick and impactful manner. Wonderful, powerful writing.
pickThis is a great collection of short stories. I listened to some and read some. Available on #Hoopla. It is Roxane Gay‘s book club pick for April and it did not disappoint. 4 stars.
pickWhat a fiery collection this is hard to believe this is Moniz's debut. She blew me away with how human the characters felt and the realness of the stories themselves. I was captivated and emotionally affected after reading each story. With such lush prose, I found myself slip into each story with ease and anticipation. The themes within all deal with the everyday harshness life can bring. These stories are dark and sizzling! Moniz is one to watch!
so-soThis was a mixed bag. Some stories, like the title story and Outside the Raft, felt overdramatic and forced. I was disengaged. Then others, like Necessary Bodies and Snow, had an understated beauty. It‘s the kind of collection I want to read again in six months and see if I feel the same way, but for now, I‘ll give it 2.5⭐️.
#bookmail!
The tagged is a swap in my #feministbookclubbox (also picked up some body cream and washi tape), and the Lamott is from Amazon. Very excited for both!
I definitely recommend FBC box if you want to support a small, woman-owned business with some of your purchases. (They, in turn, support woman-, queer- and BIPOC-owned businesses and authors.) https://www.feministbookclub.com
Stellar stellar writing. #MilkBloodHeat #GroveAtlantic #NetGalley
😂😂I absolutely adore my husband to bits.This ability of his, though,to fall asleep in seconds,drives me up the wall!Love to see it reflected.The first few short stories weren't too good,but the second half of the book is quite excellent,and I don't enjoy short stories.Highly recommended.Thanks,#GroveAtlantic #NetGalley #MilkBloodHeat!
