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recently read : Us Against You by Fredrick Backman

i finally got around to reading the beartown sequel; beartown is sitting at my perfect book for this year, and the sequel did not disappoint! backman has outstanding empathy and insight into his own characters and their stories, and each one of them grows and heals in ways that you don’t expect but make you go ‘no. that’s exactly what they should do.’ no twist feels unwanted or cheap, and each one feels fresh. the final climax is stunning, switching narratives so quickly that you’re wondering what it’s leading up to. and as always, backman’s prose is stunning. the structure of us against you isn’t as sharp and clever as beartown’s was, but the heart was still very much there.

recently read: Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White

i loved this! i devoured it in a couple of evenings, it’s a very easy read despite the content. an awesome take on a religious apocalypse, and the queer rep in this is second to none. the way it never details the outset of the flood virus apart from in each chapter epigraph, through a fictional quote or statement or article, is incredible. i love the way it provides a really cool way of further world building without taking up narrative space. this one, in particular, really got to me.

the characters are super loveable even though they can be vicious, though i would have liked to have seen more of nick. i loved him and he just wasn’t around enough despite being the main love interest! the ending was a little muddy, but i still loved it - a very tired, true, kind ending for them. still monstrous, but still loved.

recently read: ACE by Angela Chen

this was a really awesome read on not just asexuality as an identity and community, but as an opportunity to provide commentary on society, feminist politics, the nature of relationships and consent, and the establishment of compulsory sexuality. there’s some places where it’s a little muddy, but the themes and interviews with people in the ace community were amazing. some in particular opened my eyes to the others in my community who don’t necessarily share the same specifics of the identity we share.

big recommendation for transparent sticky notes, especially for anyone doing health-sci! using them to trace is one of the best uses of them. i’m pretty lucky that i’m allowed cheat sheets for some of my exams, so these make it a little tidier, but they’re great for making notes in your textbooks and notebooks as well!