grief – Reading While Fat

The Garden of Small Beginnings

The Garden of Small Beginnings (2017) is Abbi Waxman’s first novel, full of her trademark humor and heart. I’ve read her The Bookish Life of Nina Hill (2019) and I Was Told It Would Get Easier (2020) before I started reviewing books here, and Nina Hill is the source of one of my favorite descriptions–“sheContinue reading “The Garden of Small Beginnings”

A Letter to the Luminous Deep and A Letter from the Lonesome Shore (The Sunken Archive Duology)

Book covers for A Letter To the Luminous Deep and a Letter from the Lonesome Shore by Sylvie Cathrall. Both covers feature an underwater scene with deep blue in the center fading to lighter blue at the top. Around the edges of the cover are various sea creatures and plants, along with shells, letters, and other items mentioned in the books

I highly, highly recommend A Letter to the Luminous Deep (2024) and A Letter From the Lonesome Shore (2025) by Sylvie Cathrall, especially if you like epistolary novels, academic fantasy, and the idea of an underwater world created by the ancestors. I listened to them both, and recently found out that Luminous Deep was aContinue reading “A Letter to the Luminous Deep and A Letter from the Lonesome Shore (The Sunken Archive Duology)”

Missing Sam

Missing Sam (publication day January 27, 2026) by Thrity Umrigar caught my attention immediately, telling the story of a fight between married Aliyah and Samantha, that they don’t resolve before they go to sleep. In the morning, Sam goes for a run and doesn’t come back. Ali becomes the prime suspect in her disappearance. UmrigarContinue reading “Missing Sam”

Divine Ruin

Divine Ruin (publication day January 13, 2026) by Margot Douaihy is another thrilling installment in the adventures of Sister Holiday–former punk rocker, current nun, nonpracticing lesbian, amateur sleuth! I love this series! (#1 is Scorched Grace, #2 is Blessed Water.) This time Sister Holiday is dealing with the overdose of one of her favorite students,Continue reading “Divine Ruin”

Is This a Cry for Help

Is This a Cry for Help? (publication day January 13, 2026) by Emily Austin was so, so good! This is the third book of Austin’s I’ve read and reviewed (Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead, and We Could Be Rats), and it lived up to my already-high expectations! Darcy, a queer librarian whoContinue reading “Is This a Cry for Help”

The Reformatory

I just about have no words (with reverent awe) for The Reformatory (2023) by Tananarive Due, but since writing about books is the reason for this blog, I have to come up with some. First, this book is an example of my belief that white people need to read books written by black people (andContinue reading “The Reformatory”

The Measure

My book club chose The Measure (2022) by Nikki Erlick for our October 2025 read, and we had a great discussion! The premise is that one day, everyone who is older than 22 receives a box at their front door (later, you receive a box when you turn 22). On the box is an inscriptionContinue reading “The Measure”

And Then, BOOM!

In 2022, I read and reviewed Lisa Fipps’ award-winning first book, Starfish, a fat-positive middle-grade novel-in-verse, so I was happy to find out that she published a second middle-grade novel-in-verse in 2024, And Then, BOOM! And Then, BOOM! tells the story of Joe Oak, a tween who lives with his grandmother, because his Mom oftenContinue reading “And Then, BOOM!”

Firekeeper’s Daughter, Warrior Girl Unearthed, and Sisters in the Wind

Book cover for Warrior Girl Unearthed, by Angeline Boulley, featuring an orange background and the face of a dark-skinned, dark-haired woman in the center, with the background of another face silhouetted behind her. A glowing bear and an otter are just below, and the phases of the moon are above.

So I read Warrior Girl Unearthed (2023) by Angeline Boulley in September, and immediately had to read Boulley’s first book Firekeeper’s Daughter (2021, Goodreads Choice Award for YA), and was thrilled to find out she’s just published a third book, Sisters in the Wind (September 2, 2025), which I also devoured. They are each amazingContinue reading “Firekeeper’s Daughter, Warrior Girl Unearthed, and Sisters in the Wind”

ZomRomCom

I preorder anything Olivia Dade publishes, and ZomRomCom (August 2025) was no exception. It was great fat-positive fun, full of action from the very beginning! Edie lives within the Containment Zone close to the Compound where zombies are supposed to be corralled after a breach nearly two decades ago. She won’t leave because her parentsContinue reading “ZomRomCom”