so-soConceptually, this book is fantastic, and the fact that it highlights young women boxers is exceptional. I bear some responsibility for my somewhat “meh“ reaction to the book as I have very little interest in boxing, and I'm sure that sullied my reaction a bit. #TOB2025 #TOB25 Full review: https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/3934124522060211942/278442361882261270
pickThe title felt a bit gratuitous to me, but then I thought, what would I title this novel?...There are moments that read like a charming coming-of-age tale, others that twist your heart [...] What a gift to be able to see ourselves through her eyes, to laugh at our silliness, to cry at our cruelty, to empathize with our pain. FULL REVIEW: https://readingrantsandraves.blogspot.com/2025/10/2025-45-beautyland-bertino.htm... #TOB2025 #TOB25
pick...beautiful, tragic, funny,...There's even a plot twist -- handled deftly by Akbar, without resorting to clichéd sentimentality. ... lays bare themes of addiction, abandonment, artistic impulse, religiosity, media filters, racism, sexuality, and yes-- martyrdom-... like one of those rare honest conversations one might have with a close friend #TOB2025 #TOB25
Full https://readingrantsandraves.blogspot.com/2025/10/2025-43-martyr-akbar.html
pickI…was not expecting that ending. And then I remembered that Bertino totally blindsided me with the ending of the only other book I‘ve ever read by her (2AM at the Cat‘s Pajamas, about a decade ago). So, that‘s on me! Fool me twice. I write that with trepidation not gleeful surprise. I was upset the last time she did it and I think I‘m upset this time, too. I THINK. 👇🏻
pickPhoebe is an amazing protagonist, and the book is full of characters who are hiding behind façades, and Espach lets us see that so that they don't become caricatures. The initial premise doesn't seem like it would be very funny--and it isn't--but the story is so very human and redemptive in that the characters get to be real people, making real choices. A delightful read. #TOB2025 #TOB25
pickShort version: “Ambivalent“ is the right word to describe how I feel about this book. There were parts of this book I LOVED and parts I really did not love.
Suzie? I kept forgetting she existed and then she'd pop up like a game of whack-a-mole. The mushroom “scene“ was off the rails--these types of things made the plot feel like a game of yo-yo. Jinx was a GREAT character. Full review in comments. #TOB2025 #TOB25
pickIt isn't just simply “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as told by Jim.“ The messages aren't subtle, but it is an invitation to think about an old character (or actually old characters--Huck, too), in a new way. There are parts that drag a bit, but overall the novel illuminates the privilege of “adventures“ and how characters can reclaim and change the archetypes to which they've been relegated. #TOB2025 #TOB25
