readingwithmuggy's reviews
316 reviews

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

5.0

“Skin tissue and muscles and nerves, bone and blood. A body could be labeled but a person couldn’t, and the difference between the two depended on that muscle in your chest. That beloved organ, not sentient, not aware, not feeling, just pumping along, keeping you alive.”

This book was so fascinating & really looked at racism closely and in a unique way. After growing up in a small town that tried to only reproduce light skinned black people over centuries, twin sisters, Stella & Desiree, go separate ways in life — one forgoes her heritage and passes as a white woman and the other remains in her black identity. After years of living separate lives, they come back together unexpectedly when their very different daughters (one fair skin w/ blonde hair & blue eyes, one extremely dark) meet one night. This story follows this complex family over the span of decades beautifully weaving together an unforgettable tale of love + loss. Bonus points for trans + drag representation!

Tw: racism, sexism, dv, gun violence

The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood

3.5

This book was just such a fun time! I read like 65% of it in one day (aka today, the day before I needed to have it done for book club lol). I truly didn’t catch the plot twist! It’s a cozy type of mystery set in a small town in England. Highly recommended if you need a quick paced palate cleanser!🔍🕵🏼‍♀️

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

5.0

”Never again. Never again would she be weak. Never again would she be at someone’s mercy. Never again would she fail. Never again, never again, never again.”

Gosh I loved this book so much! I loved the sweet story of friendship & unconditional love reflected in these pages with Nesta & Gwyn & Emerie. I feel like this book had great representation on the effects of trauma & depression. While Nesta was in her darkest season, I felt so much empathy for her & could connect so well to her thoughts and feelings. Ready to see the next book that Maas cooks up!

(TW: for rape, sexual abuse, murder, war, pregnancy complications, etc. also very heavy on the smut!)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, War, Pregnancy, and Medical trauma

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

3.0

Idk how I feel about this one. It literally took me almost 2 weeks to get through it. Something about the pacing was off for me. Initially it had me gripped, but the rest of the book lagged overall. I think had I read it quicker I may have liked it more. 

this book has:
-multiple POVs
-unlikeable main characters 
-infidelity
-a story that goes from marriage > false incarceration > release from prison
- commentary on POC & the American justice system.
-grief

Down the Drain by Julia Fox

5.0

This memoir was a wild ride & yet I have so much love for Julia Fox now & am genuinely shocked she is alive to tell the tale. I have not seen uncut gems yet but I will be watching it after listening to this. 

TW: for just about everything - pls Google before reading/listening. Highly recommend this in the audio format!

Shipped by Angie Hockman

4.5

a cute classic rom com. The plot twist at the end added some excitement and I couldn’t put it down. My most common critique of romcoms is a rushed ending, but they really filled out the ending well in this one. I didn’t feel like there were any loose endings needing to be tied up. There were def some cringy moments that made me throw up in my mouth a little but overall 4.5 stars for Graham Cracker-Collins 💛

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

What to expect from this book:
-morally grey characters (an unlikeable main character)
-thrilling plot w/ mystery element
-book publishing drama & tea
-discussions about race 
-plagiarism & cultural appropriation 

Enjoyed it & would def recommend!

Namesake by Adrienne Young

3.0

I did not enjoy this one as much as the first one. I found myself increasingly less interested in the characters and the plot. I did like the ever changing politics, the scheming/plotting, & the complicated family dynamics. I really picked this one up because of the cliffhanger in the first. I don’t regret reading it by any means but I wanted it to be a great as the first one. The end wrapped up nicely so I think I feel satisfied by that at the very least!

Fable by Adrienne Young

4.0

A pirate book was right up my alley, made it even better that a girl was the main character. Full of adventure & a slow burn romance, I had no choice but to be roped into this book. Love love love.

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.0

Calling all readers who love a character driven story, this one is for you! Yes it has a main adventure plot but it was mainly the a compilation of stories of this group of unlikely companions. The formatting of the book drove me nuts and made it really hard to read it on kindle and so I finally resigned to the audiobook in order to finish it for book club! It was not a bad book but it also didn’t leave me in awe! It was simply okay.