#readerly

Let me just say that everything this woman writes turns into gold.

This novel is written in verse, and it just comes to life off of the page. I highly recommend the audiobook, because it just sounds like one long slam poem.

There were moments when I was laughing, and then there were also moments that brought tears to my eyes.

Xiomara is such a strong character, and you can tell that she brings light to a lot of people in her life, even if she can't see it herself. Learning to find your voice as a teenager is hard, but X is able to do it. That's powerful.

READERS! Stop scrolling for a second and listen up. First of all, I'd like to say I'm not being paid to adverstise this, but I stumbled upon it by chance and I fell in love with it straight away. So, genuinely, I HAVE to tell you about Readerly.

You know all those reading apps that suggest you books (Amazon, GoodReads, etc.) , but that at the same time might slightly throw you off because of the star rating sytem? I mean, fair enough, stars are a way to categorize experiences people got from books. But at the same time, you might find a very interesting story - alluring cover, promising plot - and when you try to investigate a bit more before actually buying it, all you see is: ★★★★☆ ★☆☆☆☆ ★★★☆☆ And you are stuck there, wondering: what does that mean? How are the characters? What kind of book is it, really? Why did someone put one star only? What discouraged them? Some people do accompany their review with an explanation, true, but others might not. Readerly is all against that, and when you review a book you don't give it stars, but you actually have to talk about it. Now, don't get scared: you won't have to provide pages and pages of comments.

Readerly uses in fact a system called Gists, and it works more or less like this (this is an example I took from my own page):

You start with a brief summary (that cannot be longer than 200 characters) and you can then add more pages about characters, quotes, warnings and dislikes, and so on. I have been on the app for a couple of days only, but I swear I have seen reviews that made me so curious about books, in a way I have never felt before - and even about genres that are usually not my go-to ones! Also, I can't explain how enthusiastic the review system made me: I honestly felt like going back to read everything I've ever loved and wanting to find a way to communicate it to others. What was the quote in Pride and Prejudice that made me laugh so? And how exactly does Thorin appear in the Hobbit book? So many details I have forgotten, that I now feel are so important to remember!

At the same time, Readerly will suggest you Gists by other users that match your own tastes, so that you can save them and keep them as a reminder when you want to read something new.

Readerly is a newly born idea and it could radically change the way we see books: think about all those stories that you might have liked, but that were not best-sellers or very critically acclaimed. There might be people around the world that would love those same stories, but might feel discouraged to try them because they don't have that many 5 stars.

SO: if you want to give it a try, Readerly is completely free - as are the first 10,000 "premium" accounts - although you might have to join a waiting list before get to work and/or explore. My waiting period was about 3-4 days.

I also have 4 invitations left (my account is @furygale, in case you wanna check it out) if you wanna access the app and start straight away! PM me for more info!

This was a great young adult thriller that combined all of the most riveting parts of Gossip Girl and Get Out. 

The story follows Devon and Chiamaka, the two students at the top of their class (and also the only Black students) who find themselves as the target of increasingly threatening messages by an unknown entity. 

You will not know who to trust at the beginning of the story, but as the supporting cast of character’s true colors begin to show, it is clear that you, Devon, and Chiamaka are all trying to figure out who is wreaking havoc on their lives together.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I really liked this book. Klune is able to write this story of grief, friendship and growth in a way that is both light-hearted and serious. There are moments where I was laughing, and then there were others where tears started to form.

The main characters are well-developed, though I would have appreciated a little more development of a couple secondary characters. I thought that the pacing of the story was also very smooth until the last conflict. When I arrived at the last conflict, I understand why it occurred the way that it did, but one part of it made it seem like it was wrapped up nicely in order to have a specific ending.

Overall, I think that this book was a good read while the world is still grappling with so much pain. It's reflective, for sure, but there is also a thread of hope that runs through it for the reader to hold on to, even past the final page.

There are some books that I finish where I think “not bad, but not memorable”. Then there are some books where I read the last page, close the book and stare off into the distance for a while. Those are the books that I think about for hours if not days afterwards.

I’ve been thinking about Firekeeper’s Daughter (by Angeline Boulley) since I finished it last night. Heck, I even woke up thinking about it this morning.

This is a young adult story, with mystery/thriller aspects. However, there are much larger themes of grief, growing up, justice, and how identity shapes who you are. The story flows well, and you will get attached the characters.

One (of the many) aspects that kept me hooked was the writing style. It was beautiful, with long descriptions, poignant statements/acknowledgments, and scenes that somehow made your heart race and break at the same time.

There is so much Native American culture woven into this story, and I thank Boulley for sharing this culture with us. This is a powerful, impactful debut novel and I highly recommend picking this one up.

With a novel as heavy as this, there are many trigger warnings. The biggest ones are murder, sexual assault, rape, drug use, drug abuse, racism, gun violence, and death.

What books have you read recently that you just can't stop thinking about?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review!

Do you ever have a book that you borrow from the library, listen to, or read on your phone or e-reader and you say to yourself "wow. I really wish I had a physical copy"? Well I was saying that to myself every time I picked up this book.

This story is magical, surreal, escapist, brilliant and so beautifully written. I audibly gasped several times throughout this book. Córdova is an insanely talented author, and now I want to pick up her other work. The characters of Orquídea Divina, Marimar, Rey and others are so lifelike that I felt that I could reach through the pages and find myself in Four Rivers with them. 

I think that the blurb of this book did not do it justice. There is just so much more for the reader to learn and experience beyond what is advertised, and I think that makes this book all the more enticing. I appreciated the alternating timelines and the pacing of the story.