Clark and Division (2021) and Evergreen (2023) by Naomi Hirahara are a pair of satisfying historical mysteries beginning around World War II, centering on Aki Ito and her family. As Clark and Division opens, Aki and her family–father, mother, and older sister Rose, are living in their home in Southern California with their golden retriever,Continue reading “Clark and Division, and Evergreen”
Author Archives: bbwesquire
Bodies to Die For
I have mixed feelings about Bodies to Die For (publication date June 11, 2024) by Lori Brand. Many of the characters live their lives as fitness influencers, tracking every gram of carbs they eat every day, terrified of becoming fat. Gemma is the main character, and she is a former fat person, now a fitnessContinue reading “Bodies to Die For”
The Fox Wife
The Fox Wife (2024) by Yangsze Choo (The Ghost Bride, The Night Tiger) completely charmed me from the second page with these lines: I exist as either a small canid with thick fur, pointed ears, neat black feet, or a young woman. Neither are safe forms in a world run by men. Thus we meetContinue reading “The Fox Wife”
The Road to the Country
The Road to the Country (pub. date June 4, 2024) is Chigozie Obioma’s third book and probably his most ambitious. If you want to read a superbly-written historical novel about a war that a lot of the Western world is not familiar with, I highly recommend it. His first two novels were Booker Prize finalists,Continue reading “The Road to the Country”
Darius the Great is Not Okay
Darius the Great is Not Okay (2018) by Adib Khorram is a sweet YA coming-of-age book about depression, tea, Star Trek, family, and embracing all of the different sides of oneself. Darius is a fractional Persian–his mother is Persian and his father is American. He is a high-schooler in the Pacific Northwest with his parentsContinue reading “Darius the Great is Not Okay”
Housemates
I was beyond excited to read Housemates (pub. Date May 28, 2024) by Emma Copley Eisenberg because she writes the Substack Frump Feelings, where in 2023 she wrote about anti-fat bias in books. I was not disappointed. Eisenberg herself, at ElectricLit, described Housemates as “about falling in romantic love and art love with your housemateContinue reading “Housemates”
A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them
A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them (2023) by Timothy Egan is described as a “historical thriller” and that is true–I couldn’t stop listening to it at every opportunity, even though I knew the outcome. What is most horrifying is that itContinue reading “A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them”
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (2020) by V.E. Schwab seems to inspire either unwavering devotion or bitter hate in what I’ve seen online. It was also a nominee for a Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fantasy in 2020 and was a nominee for the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel. Adeline/ Addie LaRue isContinue reading “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue”
Such a Fun Age
Such a Fun Age (2020) by Kiley Reid was recommended to me a long time ago, so I finally listened to it, and was mostly impressed by the author’s work, and infuriated with the white characters. Reid introduces us to Emira, a 20-something black woman who is a little adrift after college, not sure whatContinue reading “Such a Fun Age”
A Delicate Deception
A Delicate Deception (2019) by Cat Sebastian is the third book in the Regency Impostors series, set in 1824, and it is so much more than the cover shows. The cover seems to show an opposite-sex couple, both with an “ideal” body-size. (I use “ideal” in quotes because I don’t believe in an ideal bodyContinue reading “A Delicate Deception”
Reading While Fat 