Tag Archive for: Contemporary

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Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda

Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens AgendaTitle: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
Author: Becky Albertalli
Series: Simonverse #1
Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Young Adult, Romance
Spice: 0.5 / 5
Format: Kindle
Pages: 336
Reason Read: Play Book Tag
Rating:

My Thoughts

I grew up in a very conservative religious family. Like many Christian religions, my religion believes acting on “same-sex attraction” is a sin. Because of this, I’ve always shied away from reading LGBTQ+ stories. In more recent years, I’ve come to the conclusion that LGBTQ+ literature’s important because of representation and normalizing that love is love.

SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA is a heart-warming story about love and acceptance in all its forms. I loved the relationship he had with Blue. I loved reading their emails to each other. They were fun and witty. I also loved his relationship with his parents and sisters. His family was protective and supportive, but not without their flaws which made the story more realistic.

I felt scared and happy on Simon’s behalf when he came out to his friends and family. When I read about his fear of rejection and/or disappointing those he loved, my heart broke and I wanted to hug him and tell him everything was going to be okay. I also felt sad and angry for him when he was outed without his consent and bullied at the hands of other students in his school. I actually really loved how Albertalli used the bullying Simon faced as a way for him to feel supported by his friends, family, and teachers as they rallied around him.

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Nine Perfect Strangers

Nine Perfect StrangersTitle: Nine Perfect Strangers
Author: Liane Moriarty
Genre: Thriller, Contemporary
Format: Kindle
Pages: 392
Reason Read: Book Club
Rating:

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed reading NINE PERFECT STRANGERS. I connected strongly with a few of the characters in terms of their mental health battles. I thought Moriarty did such a great job of writing about depression, suicide, suicidal ideation, psychedelic therapy, and the way we deal with trauma and setbacks in our life. I really appreciated how she explored all these tough subjects. I especially liked how she flipped the psychedelic therapy on its head (iykyk).

I did think some of the plot was a little far-fetched, but the story and the characters were so compelling that I didn’t care. Moriarty’s a master at writing character-driven stories, which are my most favorite kind of stories to read. I wanted to keep reading and find out how the book would end, how each of the characters would act and feel after their experiences at Tranquillum House.

Truly Madly Guilty

Truly Madly GuiltyTitle: Truly Madly Guilty
Author: Liane Moriarty
Genre: Contemporary
Format: Kindle
Pages: 416
Reason Read: Book Club
Rating:

My Thoughts

I thought TRULY MADLY GUILTY was thought-provoking and fraught with emotion. The characters were so dynamic, round, and interesting to read about. I had a hard time with the way the story was told, though. I didn’t like knowing there was an “incident” but not knowing what the incident was until more than halfway through. It frustrated me while reading. Once we got to the incident, I thought it was hard to experience with the characters because Moriarty wrote it in a way that made me feel like I was there.

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Big Little Lies

Big Little LiesTitle: Big Little Lies
Author: Liane Moriarty
Series: Big Little Lies #1
Genre: Contemporary, Thriller
Format: Kindle
Pages: 480
Reason Read: Book Club
Rating:

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed reading BIG LITTLE LIES. It was very addicting and I had a hard time putting it down. I loved how Moriarty told the story. It actually reminded me of Memento a little bit. I wanted to keep reading so I could figure out what was going on. It was a very hard emotional read and it was a thought-provoking story that deals with hard subjects like abuse, sexual assault, and bullying. At times, it was difficult to keep reading. I really felt for all the characters, especially little Ziggy. I loved that there’s a hopeful feel to the story by the end.

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Ban This Book

Ban This BookTitle: Ban This Book
Author: Alan Gratz
Genre: Contemporary, Middle Grade
Format: Audio
Pages: 256
Length: 5h 17m
Narrator: Bahni Turpin
Reason Read: Book Club
Rating:

My Thoughts

I really liked the story of BAN THIS BOOK. I think it did a good job of illustrating the importance of not arbitrarily banning / challenging books and that no one has a right to tell you what you’re allowed to read (or what your child is allowed to read) except you. I think everyone should read it, especially parents.