Tag: book recs

Bookish Brains Issue 19

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Letter from the editor:

Hello! How has your summer reading been so far?

If you’re not already, consider checking out what summer reading programs are happening at your local library! I am helping to run the summer reading challenge at my library job, but I’m also participating in another local library’s challenge. There’s something about the summer that makes me greedy (er, greedier) for reading. But I also say the same thing in the winter, so I guess it’s a moot point.

I’ve been even more wrapped up into reading this month than last month. This Bookish Brains features book reviews of Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow, Loveless by Alice Oseman, Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hill, Ms. Marvel: Stretched Thin by Nadia Shammas, and more! Plus, upcoming new book releases in July that look awesome!

Cheers,
-B.C.

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Bookish Brains Issue 18

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Letter from the editor:

I finished my second semester of grad school! The beginning of May marked the end of the spring semester for me, and I gladly turned in my final projects in exchange for a blissful month of break. My summer classes will begin in June, and I am unfortunately dreading them.

May has carried a lot of emotional turmoil and depression for me, as I have grappled with various upsetting events that have transpired in the world. Always there for company, books have embraced me.

This newsletter features reviews of books I read this month such as The Annual Migration of Clouds by Premee Mohamed, The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh, Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani, Moonwalking by Zetta Elliott and Lyn Miller-Lachmann, and more! Plus, a list of new upcoming June book releases. Check it out!

Cheers!
-B.C.

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Bookish Brains Issue 16

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Letter from the Editor:

At the end of month, I am always amazed at how quickly the past thirty or so days have gone by. It’s probably the natural side effect of being as busy as I am with work and school, but I continue to feel whiplash from the calendar flipping.

I have exciting news to share though! This month, I began transitioning from circulation to youth services! At my job, I am switching over from part-time to full-time, as I begin youth programming. In this new role, I will be providing reference services for youth material and creating activities and programs for youth. So far, I am already loving my new responsibilities, and I am excited to completely move over in April. Also, as a byproduct of this, I will be reading more picture books and young adult literature so that I can stay abreast with popular and new releases.

I also read a lot of incredible books in March! This newsletter discusses what I am currently reading, what I plan to read, and upcoming literary fiction book releases. It also features book reviews of Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake, Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi, Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell, Almost American Girl by Robin Ha, and The Aquanaut by Dan Santat.

Cheers!
-B.C.

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Bookish Brains Issue 15

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Letter from the editor:

February’s just about over already, and even though it was a short month, I read quite a bit! In the first two weeks of February, I read six amazing books, and then my reading came to a screeching halt with the beginning of my third graduate class on February 14. Not only did I then have a third class’s worth of work added onto my plate, but projects started ramping up in classes I had begun in January. Sufficed to say, things got a little stressful real quickly and I’ve been a bit burnt out lately.

Like I said though, the six books I managed to read at the beginning of February were amazing reads. I discuss them all in this edition of Bookish Brains, including Assembly by Natasha Brown, Pet by Akwaeke Emezi, None But the Righteous by Chantal James, The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin, and Don’t Cry for Me by Daniel Black. Plus, I share a list of upcoming March book releases you don’t want to miss!

Hope you’ve been taking care and reading well. We’re one day closer to spring!
-B.C.

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Bookish Brains Issue 10

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Letter from the Editor:

Greetings! How has August treated you? At the time I’m writing this, I’ve just begun my first semester studying a Master’s in Library and Information Science! All my courses are completely online, so I spent the morning reviewing the syllabi and noting the classes’s modules. Though it will be a fair workload, I’m excited to step back into the role of an active student and delve into the material. Make sure to check out my Slanted Spines YouTube page if you’d like to hear me discuss my thoughts regarding my first semester in grad school!

Because of my enrollment in this program, I felt like I was ravenously reading this August, attempting to plow through all the books I wanted to read before I became inundated in school work again. Not only have I read six books so far this month, but I also read from a wide variety of genres: graphic novel, memoir, horror, science fiction, and fantasy, and several of the books I read are authored by trans and non-binary folks.

In this tenth edition of Bookish Brains, I review Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe, Pilu of the Woods by Mai K. Nguyen, She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan, The Natural Mother of the Child by Krys Malcolm Belc, A Touch of Jen by Beth Morgan, and A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers. Additionally, I share what I’m currently reading: Dear Senthuran by Akwaeke Emezi and Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. And lastly, I list a few books I’d like to read next month and some upcoming September book releases! It’s a jam-packed newsletter full of incredible books, so I hope you enjoy and find something you like!

Cheers!
-B.C.

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Bookish Brains Issue 9

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Letter from the Editor:

Lo and behold, it is nearly August! Hoping you fared well this July and enjoyed at least one quality book.

July brought many changes to my life, most notably my recent employment at a local library! After a year of time off and re-evaluating my career direction, I became a part-time circulation clerk at a gorgeous community library. Spending my time there has been lovely, and consequently I have taken home quite a number of stray books with me! Because of this tremendous resource, I’ve been able to indulge in more new release books and “sample” books I may be interested in.

Though I’ve been fostering a decent stack of books, I’ve only had time enough to read five books so far this month, including two short story collections and one brief manga. Compared to my ravenous reading habits of June, this is a decrease in quantity for me, though I’m perfectly satisfied with the literature I have managed to read. I’ve gotten in the habit of reading for an hour or two every morning during my cup of tea, which has helped me keep up with the books on my TBR despite the changes to my schedule. Plus, it’s the most pleasant way to start the day!

In this month’s issue of Bookish Brains, I share my reviews of Filthy Animals by Brandon Taylor, Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia, Are You Enjoying? by Mira Sethi, Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi, and Junji Ito’s Cat Diary. Plus, what I’m currently reading, what I’d like to read next, and some new releases to keep an eye out for! Hope you enjoy!

Cheers!
-B.C.

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Bookish Brains Issue 7

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Letter from the Editor:

May is always a hectic time of year for me, though I’m surprised to see it ending so quickly! This past month, I participated in Cindy’s Asian Readathon, and so for the month of May I primarily read books with Asian authors, including those with Chinese, Taiwanese, Indian, Iranian, and Vietnamese backgrounds. In this issue of Bookish Brains, I feature mini book reviews for Stargazing by Jen Wang, Mooncakes by Wendy Xu and Suzanne Walker, Bestiary by K-Ming Chang, and Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi.

In other news, I also made a bookish Tumblr (a booklr, if you will), so if you would like to follow Slanted Spines on Tumblr, you can check out my page! So far, I mostly use it to post quotes from the books I read, cross-promote my website and YouTube channel, and post photos. It’s been a lot of fun and quite the throwback, as I spent a good deal of my adolescence on Tumblr–and it hasn’t changed much since then, thankfully.

This month, I also made a personal goal of donating to a charity or organization every time I buy books. I spent about $45 on books in May, so I donated the same amount to a GoFundMe for rebuilding Samir Mansour’s bookstore in Gaza. Not only will this motivate me to be cautious about buying books if it’s not in the budget, but it will also help me keep up with charitable practices throughout the entire year.

Hope you also had a quality reading month!

Cheers!
-B.C.

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Bookish Brains Issue 6

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Letter from the Editor:

Spring is upon us, and I hope you’ve been reading some lovely books lately! I had a month full of good reads, and as always I’m happy to share my thoughts with you. In this issue of Bookish Brains, I’ve included book reviews for No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood, Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi, The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins, and How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps her House by Cherie Jones. Plus, I give a sneak peek at my May TBR and shout out a few upcoming book releases!

During April, I also received some exciting news: I was accepted into a Master’s program for Library and Information Science! Last week I registered for classes, so this fall I will be attending school again. Through this experience, I’m seeking a career in the library systems, and I couldn’t be more excited. When I was a teenager, I worked for a couple years at a shelver at my local library and loved it. So it’s been a rewarding month and I feel grateful for this opportunity.

Wishing you a beautiful, blooming May! Please leave a comment and let me know what your favorite read from April was; I would love to hear about it.

Cheers!
-B.C.

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Bookish Brains Issue 5

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Bookish Brains Issue 5

Letter from the Editor:

Another month has passed! I always look forward to writing and posting these Bookish Brains issues because they’re such a rewarding culmination of the month’s reading, as well as exciting to look forward to next month’s TBR and upcoming releases!

For Women’s History Month this March, I resolved to read only books authored by women, which wasn’t too hard for me at all! Four of the books I’ve read this month are featured in this newsletter with mini reviews: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, Motherhood by Sheila Heti, and Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones, as well as a few comments on my current read Know my Name by Chanel Miller. In addition, I list three of the books on my TBR for April and highlight a few new book releases for April. Lots to look forward to!

Cheers!

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Bookish Brains Issue 4

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Letter from the Editor:

Greetings! Even though February is the shortest month of the year, I still managed to read several amazing works. In honor of it being Black History Month, I exclusively read Black-authored books. Not just this month, but year-round as well, I think we should generally aim to uplift the marginalized voices which so often have been ignored throughout history.

In this issue of Bookish Brains, I will be sharing reviews for The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi, Black Boy Out of Time by Hari Ziyad, the March comic trilogy written by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, and Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde, as well as my currently-reading thoughts on Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin and my reading plans for March! Cheers!

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