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True Grit

I had not thought much about True Grit by Charles Portis (1968) until the Indianapolis Public Library and the Eiteljorg Museum gave away a free copy as part of a National Endowment for the Arts Big Read program in 2018 or 2019. I took a copy, added it to the Pile, and sadly, gave awayContinue reading “True Grit”

Remarkably Bright Creatures

I was absolutely delighted by Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (2022)! I am happily in the majority of people who loved this book, the story of widowed Tova Sullivan who lost her teenage son Erik thirty years before, and Cameron, annoying screw-up, man-child, who shows up in Sowell Bay, Washington, looking for hisContinue reading “Remarkably Bright Creatures”

Salt Houses

Salt Houses by Hala Alyan (2017) told the story of one Palestinian family over multiple generations, beginning in the late 1960s through the 2010s, centered around Alia and her husband Asif, who is best friends with Alia’s brother Mustafa. Alia and Mustafa’s mother is forced to leave with the Six-Day War in 1967, and MustafaContinue reading “Salt Houses”

State of Wonder

State of Wonder (2011) by Ann Patchett has been on my TBR stack forever, so I was really glad when it was a monthly book group pick. I even knew lore about it, as the writer Elizabeth Gilbert writes about her exchange with Ann Patchett about this book, in her 2015 creativity book Big Magic:Continue reading “State of Wonder”

My Big Fat Desi Wedding

My Big Fat Desi Wedding, ed. by Prerna Pickett (pub. date 1/16/2024) was exactly as described–an anthology of short stories set around South Asian weddings featuring primarily young women and men. The stories were each pretty light and didn’t delve into a lot of controversy, generally. I enjoyed the cultural aspect of them, since I’veContinue reading “My Big Fat Desi Wedding”

Big Girl

I have complicated feelings about Big Girl by Mecca Jamilah Sullivan (2022). First, I am glad that a novel about the coming of age of a fat, black, young girl in 1990’s Harlem was written. The author did an amazing job with the story of Malaya and her family (her mother, Nyela, is a professor,Continue reading “Big Girl”

A Holly Jolly Ever After

Finishing up the year right–with the third fat-positive romance review in a row–is A Holly Jolly Ever After (2023) by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone, the team that brought us A Merry Little Meet Cute. This time, we have Kallum, the “funny” member of the boy band INK, who has moved home to run aContinue reading “A Holly Jolly Ever After”

On the Plus Side

I was delighted by On the Plus Side by Jenny Howe (publication date 12/26/2023)! A romance featuring a plus-size female main character in a reality makeover show has been done before, but never incorporating the tenets of fat liberation so well. Everly is a receptionist at a marketing firm, having landed there after obtaining anContinue reading “On the Plus Side”

Season of Love

I don’t know why Season of Love (2022) by Helena Greer sat on my physical TBR shelf for a year, because I was so enthralled by this sapphic romance set at a Christmas tree farm run by a Jewish family. Miriam is an artist with an Instagram following, who spent summers growing up at herContinue reading “Season of Love”