This was just the coziest fall read! It really embodied everything that makes fall great- the smells, the food, the colors... I absolutely adored Deja. She‘s unapologetically herself and has a great passion for life. She shows that you don‘t have to be delicate and feminine to be adorable or lovable. I loved her determination to help her friend talk to his crush. We all need a friend like Deja. The ending was sweet and oh so satisfying.

Last year AJ Jacobs released his new book, Thanks a Thousand, where he went on a quest to thank every person involved in the production of his morning cup of coffee. He wanted to thank his fans as a part of that journey of gratitude, so he offered to write 1,000 Thank You postcards for his newsletter subscribers. When I made the request I told AJ that I was struggling with my depression and that a postcard from him would cheer me up. Here it is!

I loved the premise for this one but unfortunately it fell flat for me. The world building was extremely weak and it left me feeling lost without a sense of the book‘s time period and setting. This seems to be a fantasy because basilisks, sirens, and magic are mentioned, but they are definitely an afterthought to the the story. I got no sense of how they fit into the world. I also thought that many of the characters were thinly sketched.

I enjoyed the second book in Molly Harper‘s Sorcery and Society series. Sarah has survived her first semester at school and is beginning to gain control of her magic. She has been chosen as the Translator of the motherbook, a priceless trove of magical knowledge. With great power comes great responsibility, however. When the book stops communicating with Sarah, she must go on an adventure to prove that she deserves the role of Translator.

This was the first book in Molly Harper‘s Sorcery and Society series. It‘s a gaslamp fantasy set in a world where society is divided between the Guardian upperclass who have magic, and the Snipe underclass who do not. When Sarah, a sickly Snipe girl, suddenly performs magic in front of her Guardian employer she is suddenly thrust into a treacherous new world. She is given a new identity and sent off to a prestigious magical boarding school.

I love a gritty, no nonsense heroine and Miryem definitely fits the bill. She drags her family back from the brink of starvation and faces every challenge thrown her way with grim determination. Novik‘s fairy tales are atmospheric and utterly gripping. You won‘t be released from her spell until you turn the final page.

I didn‘t look at myself in the mirror. Fucking Tabitha. She still did that thing to her eyes, the thing that made them look bigger and more open, more alive. Not makeup, something else. Something fucking magic. I didn‘t like looking at myself, seeing my eyes, and knowing that she had them, the exact same ones, and had decided that they needed to be better.

“And she‘s a … a witch?” “A mage,” I answered. “We don‘t call them witches. Or wizards—they hate that.” “Are you one too?” “Nope. Not me.” “Why not?” It wasn‘t like a punch to the gut, not anymore. Not after so many years. More like a sneeze the day after too many sit-ups, or the seat belt tightening after a too-fast stop, or a sudden wave of nausea at the tail end of a hangover.”

I wanted to love it, but it kind of fell flat for me. I think I may have liked it better before #metoo. Roxanne Gay references Cosby, Michael Jackson, and Louis C. K. throughout the book and I found that jarring until I remembered this book predated the movement. I enjoyed her essays on race the most, but was bored by some of the pop culture analysis.

Coming thirteen years after Edith Pattou‘s East, West is a beautiful continuation of her retelling of East of the Sun, West of the Moon. Pattou is a master world builder. You can‘t help but feel the wind playing in your hair and the crunch of snow under your feet. Rose is a few years older in West, but time hasn‘t diminished her bravery and determination to rescue the people she loves. I highly recommend this duology!

I think this book will be regarded as essential feminist reading in a few years. The book examines why fathers‘ contributions to household labor and childcare haven‘t increased since the early 2000s. According to a recent PEW study, mothers are still performing 65% of childcare tasks. This book examines the social structures support this unfair system. The book is very well researched and was an enjoyable, if infuriating read.

I met the amazing Jaclyn Friedman last night and got her to sign my book! Her workshop on Rewriting Your Scripts was incredible. It‘s no wonder she‘s one of the biggest names in 3rd wave feminism. #feminism