amarisafloria

WHAT IS SHIPPED ABOUT?

If you want to know more, I shared a section of spoiler-filled thoughts on my Goodreads review!

Growing up, I rarely had issues with my skin. I would get an occasional small pimple or raised bump every year or two, but nothing worth stressing over. Until last year, when all hell broke loose and my skin betrayed me. Okay, it's not that dramatic 😬 But it was pretty bad, and I knew nothing about skincare. So I looked up some YouTube videos, as one does in this day and age when one needs information quickly, and now I am obsessed!!! My wallet is definitely hurting a little, but my skin has thankfully been on the road to recovery and she's doing very well!

Basically, I say all this because I am no expert but I still wanted to talk about what has been working for me. Hopefully this will be helpful if you are figuring out what to try next!

The Vanishing Half begins with two twin sisters who run away from their small town to find freedom and make something more of their lives. After fourteen years, one returns with her "blueblack" daughter and the other has left all she knows behind to pass and live as a white woman.

Brit Bennett does an excellent job at exploring how something as unimportant as skin color alone dictates the way people think. Everyone in Mallard, the small town that Desiree and Stella grew up in, favors fair skin. This community knows they would "never be accepted as white" but they refuse "to be treated like Negroes." So when Desiree brings her dark baby back with her, they have a lot to say. And even before Stella encounters the Black family that moves in across the street from her, she has already formed an opinion about them.

With the choices that each twin makes about how they want to live, we see how it impacts their well-being and relationships with everyone around them, especially their daughters. For Stella, did hiding the thing she thought would cage her grant the freedom she dreamed of?

Because it is a character-driven novel, it does read a little slow—but it was worth it! I do wish we could've learned a little more about Desiree and what she was thinking during the later time periods, but maybe that comes out in how her daughter Jude views herself.

I just love the way Brit Bennett wove this story through two people who look exactly the same and were raised with the same experiences, but had such different thoughts about being Black.

Hi friends. I've been overcomplicating how I want to share my book reviews and such on this blog. So instead of worrying about how it all looks as a whole, I thought I would stop fixating on that and just share SOMETHING.

Since I was required to read 35+ books earlier this year for my controversial literature course in grad school, my interest in reading has developed into something more regular and frequent. I point to my class as the reason for this because I still "forced" myself to pick up a book even though I didn't feel like reading. Of course, I didn't want to stop once I started. It wasn't that I didn't want to read before, but more so that I ... did not have the discipline to sit myself down and struggle for the first five minutes. It's that first five minutes, not reading, that I didn't want to encounter. It was like this before, which I'm sure you may be familiar with: I sit down with my book, ready to read for hours. Then I pick up my phone and scroll through Instagram to share what I'm reading. Then I go to Twitter to see what other people are up to, and Instagram again ... until I realize I'm supposed to be reading—but oops, now it's time to go to bed. Only ten pages read. I definitely still have those days, don't get me wrong! But now I'm better at facing that initial five-minute struggle because I've built a tolerance for it and removed distractions. If I don't scroll for the first five minutes and, instead, focus only on reading, I am much more likely to keep at it and forget about everything else!

Anyway, I say all that to preface the fact that I've been reading a lot. Much more than I have in the past couple of years. But sitting down with my notes and organizing all my thoughts is a different story. So let me warm up and just start by talking about what I'm currently reading 🤣

One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid (18%)
In an attempt to read more from my physical TBR, I picked up my fourth Taylor Jenkins Reid book last night. I've loved everything I've read from TJR so far, so I know this one won't disappoint. One True Loves follows a woman named Emma, who loses her husband after his helicopter goes missing. Years later, she is engaged to Sam (somewhat of a second-chance romance) and finds out her husband is actually alive. All of TJR's stories seem to explore difficult relational topics—which I really love, even though they make my heart hurt. Before starting One True Loves, just thinking about the synopsis made me sweat (how could Emma choose between two guys she loves so much???) but I kind of have a good idea of where this is going already! There is a guy I prefer for Emma, so consider my anxiety slightly relieved lol.

Circe by Madeline Miller (24%)
My plan was to start this at the beginning of July and finish by the end of the month for Curl Up Club, but neither of those things happened 😬 I knew it would take me a long time to read, which is why I delayed starting it, but now it's become one of those books I've abandoned because I wanted to read something quick instead. My new plan now is to take small bites and read one chapter a day. That's very doable. Anyway, it's not a bad book! I love how Madeline Miller illustrates the story with her words. The style and subject matter is just foreign to me, so I have to discipline myself to be okay with reading something different. I really do see the appeal and completely understand why so many people say excellent things about it.

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You by Jason Reynolds (37%)
Another book that I've been sitting with for a while now. HOWEVER! I didn't get to finish it within the three weeks I had it checked out in June, but my hold just came in again so I can continue on and hopefully finish very soon. I love the conversational tone that Jason Reynolds writes in—perfect for a younger audience to stay interested in, because it sounds like it's coming more from an older brother than a teacher. One overarching theme I constantly think about and want to share: We need to be working toward transforming racism, not transforming Black people. There is nothing wrong with Black people. "There are lazy, hardworking, wise, unwise, harmless, and harmful individuals of every race, but no racial group is better or worse than another racial group in any way."

The Silence of Bones follows a 16-year-old girl named Seol, who is indentured to the police bureau and assigned to work with one of their inspectors regarding the murder of a noblewoman. It takes place during the 1800s in Joseon (Korea), when many were persecuted for practicing and spreading Catholicism.

If you are able to choose between reading The Silence of Bones in a physical format or on audiobook, I would highly suggest going with the former. Although listening to this story did not detract from my enjoyment, it was hard to follow at times because of the large cast of characters involved. Every single person, however, is important to the story's development—as time went on, their secrets unraveled bit by bit and revealed underlying layers of the big mystery. Reading The Silence of Bones with my eyes would've better solidified each character in my mind. (Of course, that's no fault of the audiobook—it's 100% a "me" problem 😬)

You should read The Silence of Bones if you're looking for a story that contains:

• An excellent atmospheric setting
• A mystery that is heavily influenced by what's happening during that time in history
• Characters who have detailed backstories, as well as lives that intertwine with each other

Hi friends! I wanted to pop in today and share a short list of books I'm looking forward to. It also fits nicely with the Top Ten Tuesday prompt for today, which is "books on my summer 2020 TBR." I'll definitely be trying my best to get to most (if not all) of these as they come out. The first three are already out 😄


The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett • June 2nd
My mother-in-law gifted me a subscription to Book of the Month for Christmas (not last year, but the year before 🙈) and I finally started it with this one as my June pick. Of course it had to be this month, with all that's going on 🤦‍♀️ ... but I wanted to wait and start it during a time I knew I'd be able to read what I choose. I know I didn't have to mention that, but there it is. Haha. Anyway, I'm excited about The Vanishing Half because a lot of people I follow on Instagram love Brit Bennett! I think it's about two Black (or mixed?) twins who end up living apart from each other and face different issues because of their history.

I'll Be the One by Lyla Lee • June 16th
I saw "K-Pop," so naturally it's on my tbr 😂 It follows Skye, a plus-sized girl who auditions to be a K-Pop star. I know the music industry in South Korea is something else entirely, so it'll be interesting to see how it plays out in the book! (I have very little knowledge about it, so you can bet I'll be asking my K-pop-loving friend to see how it holds up 🤪)

You Say It First by Katie Cotugno • June 16th
I know the topics and themes that Katie Cotugno chooses to tell stories about is very polarizing, but I personally like the way she explores complicated issues (like in 99 Days).

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager • June 30th
After Lock Every Door became one of my favorite reads last year, I will read anything else Riley Sager writes!


Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power • July 7th
"The only thing Margot knows for sure is there's poison in their family tree, and their roots are dug so deeply into Phalene that now that she's there, she might never escape."

Mother Daughter Widow Wife by Robin Wasserman • July 7th
Another psychological thriller. Which, for some reason, I don't read a lot of but still carry the impression that I really love them? I don't know. (Note to self: I have to work on figuring out my book taste.) This one is about a woman who has "no memory of who she is, where she was going, or what she might have done." So ... like every other psychological thriller I have on my tbr, lol.

Deal with the Devil by Kit Rocha • July 28th
All I saw in the description was Orphan Black and Avengers so yes, I'm here for it!!! I can't remember how I came across this, since I'm not familiar with the authors (Kit Rocha is a duo!) or any of their published works ... 🤔


Vicious Spirits by Kat Cho • August 18th
Wicked Fox, the first book in this series, was a very entertaining audiobook, so I'm eager to continue on. I haven't decided if I'll listen or read with my eyes yet ...

Now That I've Found You by Kristina Forest • August 25th
I just finished Forest's debut novel, I Wanna Be Where You Are, last week and am interested in reading more from her! (If you have any recommendations for YA novels by Black authors about Black teens experiencing life, please let me know! I am intentionally looking for more to read.)

Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles • August 25th
Honestly, I don't know much about this one ... just that it's been compared to The Phantom of the Opera? There's even a chandelier on the cover 😂 During WB Reader Fest in April, DJ talked about this one multiple times and it sparked my interest!

In 2019, I read 34 things (books, graphic novels, novellas, and short stories) and rated 70% four or five stars. Generally speaking, I try to rate based on technicality and not on my feelings. Those change often! Even though I enjoyed a majority of the stories I read, I can really only call three my "favorites." These are hard to come by, even if I had read more. (Note: Please don't misunderstand, I'm not beating myself up for reading a small amount of books! My schedule this year did not allow for a lot of reading, so I have no problems with what my outcome was.) Okay, let's get to what I'm trying to say.

Instead of sharing the best books of 2019, I'm only going to write about my favorite books. The difference between the two is that my favorites are books that I know will sit with me forever and have impacted me on an emotional level. These are the ones that are special to me. It doesn't necessarily mean I would re-read them over and over again, although with some I would. And I don't always give my favorites a full five stars. The reason I'm not sharing my "best" reads this year is ... well, to be quite honest, I just don't want to talk about them! I only feel confident recommending books I absolutely love, so that is what you'll be getting today.

Side note #1: My favorites would 100% be part of my "best of" list.
Side note #2: One of my goals this year is to talk about every single book I read, so you will still hear me talk about books that don't make it to my "favorites" list in the future! Fret not, my friends. Not that anyone is actually fretting, I think.

One last thing before I talk about my favorites. I asked my Twitter friends if there was a difference between BEST books and FAVORITE books, and I wanted to share their responses with you. They are much more well spoken than I tried to be 😅

For me, best books are the most well-crafted. But with favorite books I have an emotional connection.

Sometimes faves have aspects that aren't technically the best, but it doesn't matter to me. But I also have faves that I think are technically amazing & I'm super connected to.

— Neville Longbottom (@NevilleL90) January 6, 2020

Yes but the gap for me is quite small + if I’m writing a “best of year” or “favorites of year” post I probably personally use it interchangeably! Bc if they’re my favorite, they were of course in some way a best imo (I hope this makes sense!)

— Jessica / 芬宇 (@FlytoFiction) January 6, 2020

I think for me it depends on the context of what I’m talking about. My best of the year could be interchangeable with favorite! It’s the best of what I read! But all time fave books are necessarily “best”. Idk good question lol

— Jamie Miller (@brokeandbookish) January 6, 2020

Okay, now for the thing you're here to read about!




Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
Everything I Never Told You follows a Chinese American family who ends up losing their middle child, Lydia, in what police are ruling a suicide. However, no one believes that's true so they do everything they can to figure out what really happened. But the more they learn about their eldest daughter, the more they realize they didn't know her as well as they thought they did. Don't go into this thinking that Lydia's death is going to be all spelled out—this is much more of a family saga than a mystery/thriller.

Celeste Ng did such an incredible job capturing the Chinese American family experience—the high expectations, embarrassment from being treated as "other," feelings being swept under the rug. Never have I read anything that resonated with me more and made my heart hurt. This is a very emotional read, but one that reflects a lot of truths. It has impacted the way I think about other books, which is why making this list was so difficult!

A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Caletti
Another heartbreaking story, but also hopeful. A Heart in a Body in the World follows a girl named Annabelle who decides to run across the country, from her hometown in Seattle to Washington, D.C., after a tragedy happens that she feels guilty for causing.

I'll admit that it took me a while to get through this because not much happens with the plot—it's just Annabelle running each day—but we get pieces of flashbacks that help us learn what she went through in the past. This story was so brilliantly woven together, and what makes that so is the way we get to see the progression of her relationship with this one person and how it changed her life. It started off harmless, but it very slowly became something bigger—an issue that Annabelle could not have predicted. It's a little difficult to explain how I feel without spoilers, so please trust me when I say this is a must read.

Lock Every Door by Riley Sager
After losing her job and having close to nothing in her savings account, Jules comes across a gig that is too good to pass on. All she has to do is be an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew, a building in Manhattan where many rich and famous folks live. As much as it is glamorous, it is also eerie and very secretive. There are some strange rules Jules has to abide by—no visitors, no talking to the other residents unless they approach her first, and she must stay in the apartment every night—but for four thousand dollars every month, it's worth it. Of course, creepy things start to happen. After an apartment sitter on the floor below her mysteriously disappears, Jules decides to find out what's going on.

This story was so well crafted and it kept me on my toes the whole time. Just the right amount of creepy for a scaredy-cat like me. The chapters are short, so nothing is long-winded—it's all about moving the plot forward and dropping little breadcrumb-clues slowly. I loved seeing how the relationships between Jules and all the different residents developed and, inevitably, how it affected her stay. Just one caveat for my recommendation: I haven't read many thrillers (and have watched even less of them) so I can't tell you if the twists and turns in this novel are unique or not. All I can say is that I loved it, and I'll be picking up everything else Riley Sager writes!

Welcome to 2020, my friends! ✨

Out of the six books I chose to end 2019 with, I ended up finishing two: Lock Every Door by Riley Sager, which was SO good and 100% worth reading, and Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. Actually, I finished the latter last night but we will still count it as successful! I really only had half the month to complete everything because I was in school until December 10th, and then all the holiday events took over. I did, however, also make progress with The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord, which I hope to finish over this weekend. The Hunger Games is probably the only one I will carry over, although not this month, but only because its prequel is coming out very soon and I want to review all the details before diving into a new addition.




Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
This is the January pick for Jamie's Better Late Than Never Book Club! I've had it on my shelves since 2015, so it's about time I finally start reading. It takes place in Iceland, where a woman is awaiting execution after being accused of murder. Quite a dark read, which seems like a good choice to end this season with!

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
One of my 2020 goals is to read one personal development book per quarter, and I've heard nothing but excellent things about Atomic Habits. I love anything to do with productivity, so I'm also thinking about how I can integrate that onto my blog.

The Wicked King by Holly Black
I actually wanted to read this in December, but I decided to hold off and instead choose books that had potential to make my "best of 2019" list. Not to say this doesn't have potential, because I know it does! But I read The Cruel Prince (the first book in this series) this year and that's already on the list, so I had to give up the spot to something else. I didn't want two books in the same series. LOGIC 🤔

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han
I've enjoyed this series so much so far, and I can't wait to see what Lara Jean is up to this time around. I predict this will be a really quick read, but I'm also a little sad that it's ending.



Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen (January 7th)
I'll be doing my best to pick up as many Asian books as I can this year, and I'm really excited for this one. I don't know much about it, aside from the fact that the main character's parents send her to Taiwan to study in an education program but it actually turns out to be something else?

The Map from Here to There by Emery Lord (January 7th)
The Start of Me and You is one of my all-time favorite books, so I've been waiting to read this sequel for AGES.

Lucky Caller by Emma Mills (January 14th)
No clue what this is about, but I am 100% reading it as soon as it comes out because it's written by Emma Mills.

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord (January 21st)
I will pick up any YA rom-com that comes my way, and St. Martin's Press was so kind to approve my request to read this early! It follows two rivals named Pepper and Jack who work at their families' food shops, and they end up getting into a big, public argument on Twitter. But actually, they're falling for each other in real life? WE LOVE TO SEE IT.