I was thrilled to finally get to read The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store (2023) by James McBride, as I’ve loved his writing since reading his memoir The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother and the brilliant pre-civil war historical fiction The Good Lord Bird. In The Heaven and EarthContinue reading “The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store”
Category Archives: Weight-Neutral
The Shutouts
The Shutouts (publication date December 3, 2024) is Gabrielle Korn’s second novel and a sequel to Yours For the Taking. I loved it, possibly even more than Yours For the Taking! Give me all of the climate fiction with lesbians at the end of the world! It could possibly work for you as a standaloneContinue reading “The Shutouts”
Private Rites
This is a big publication day–I have three books to review! I’ll spread them out through the day, this is the first one.
The Bird Hotel
The Bird Hotel (2023) is my first Joyce Maynard book, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that she has written a lot of books, and has been a regular columnist and reporter as well. The Bird Hotel follows Irene, starting with her unusual childhood as the daughter of an itinerant singer in the lateContinue reading “The Bird Hotel”
Lucky Red
Lucky Red (2023) by Claudia Cravens caught my eye when I read this review, but it took a year for me to finally listen to it. I was completely blown away by the voice of the main character, Bridget. We recently read the classic western True Grit, by Charles Portis, for my book club, andContinue reading “Lucky Red”
Body Image Inside Out
Body Image Inside Out (publication day 10/31) by Deb Schachter MSW & Whitney Otto MA, PCC is a worthwhile addition to the self-help books that already exist on body image and healing in the current world we live in. I was first impressed when the book began with a note on language–the use of theContinue reading “Body Image Inside Out”
The Vanishing Half
I’m late to The Vanishing Half (2020) by Brit Bennett, which was deservedly named a best book of the year by many popular news outlets, and was one of Barack Obama’s favorite books of the year. Beginning in 1968, when one of the “lost twins” of Mallard, Louisiana, returns after having run away at 16Continue reading “The Vanishing Half”
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women
As usual, Lisa See has crafted an engaging historical fiction novel centering on women and their relationships in Lady Tan’s Circle of Women (2023). In the late 1400s, in China during the Ming dynasty, child Tan Yunxian witnesses her mother’s death because of infection in her bound feet and the lack of medical care forContinue reading “Lady Tan’s Circle of Women”
The Sons of El Rey
The Sons of El Rey (2024) by Alex Espinoza is a brilliant historical, polyvocal, family drama with a bit of magical realism that was the August selection for Roxane Gay’s The Audacious Book Club. Although this was the third book from her book club that I’ve read this year, I’ve not been able to manageContinue reading “The Sons of El Rey”
The Guncle Abroad
I was very excited to listen to The Guncle Abroad (2024), by Steven Rowley, which was read by the author, as The Guncle had been. I enjoyed it much more than the first book with Patrick, Maisie, and Grant, as Rowley avoided most of the anti-fat bias that had sadly been peppered throughout The Guncle.Continue reading “The Guncle Abroad”
Reading While Fat 