internment – Story-eyed Reviews

Croquette and Empanada by Ana Oncina

This adorable little gem is a short book of comics following the lives of Croquette and Empanada. These delightful little stuffed foods fall in love and navigate the trappings of a relationship, such as who gets the covers at night and who kills bugs in the apartment. I read this DRC courtesy of Andrews McCeel Publishing and I look forward to seeing it come to print, it’s so cute.

Gemina by Amie Kauffman and Jay Kristoff

I JUST finished this book this morning and WOW! I have yet to remain emotionally stable through either of the Illuminae Files so far, and I’m hoping to squeeze the third one in before June. I can’t believe this author duo managed to top Illuminae, because I was doubtful. They totally did, guys. My mind is still a little blown. I love both the physical and audio copies of this book, so descriptive and motion-packed. Definitely recommend to anyone who likes some YA space action.

Internment by Samira Ahmed

I still can’t decide if this book was refreshing or depressing or wonderful, or most likely it’s all three. This just hit close to home, so accurate to our world now, which is the whole point of it. So I guess it accomplished its task! It felt good to read through a satisfying conclusion to what I wish was as simple of a solution in the real world. But that’s more of a critique of the real world than Internment. For anyone struggling with the emotional climate in America today, check out Internment.

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage

Technically I’m not finished with this one yet, I’m about halfway through it, but I just have to say…wow. And since I’m reading this for my Mark-up Exchange, I’ve been writing that word next to a lot of moments in this book. I need to diversify. This book is completely and totally insane. I’m enjoying every second of it. What the hell?!

What have you finished this week?

I’ve seen a lot of bookish memes and list ideas here on the book-blogging circuit, and I wish I could do all of them! One of my favorites has been a trend of bloggers posting their current reads on Wednesdays.

This week I’ll be taking inspiration from Taking On a World of Words, and trying out their “WWW Wednesday!”

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

What I’m reading now:

I have started so many books this week, it’s crazy town here! Here are just a few!

I’m about halfway through Claire Legrand’s new release sequel to Furyborn, Kingsbane, and I am really enjoying it so far. The last book ended on such an interesting twist that I was dying to find out how it would impact the group and dynamic, and I have not been disappointed. Look for a review on my blog for this one soon!

I jumped on the Illuminae train late, but damn it is so good! I’m buddy reading Gemina with a couple of friends in my book club and it continues to consistently shock and surprise me. I have yet to be emotionally stable all the way through one of Kaufman and Kristoff’s space dramas, and yet that’s honestly half the fun. I look forward to finishing this series this month!

Baby Teeth, by Zoje Stage, is my book choice for the Mark-up Book Exchange I’m participating in this year! I’m a third of the way into this intense little gem of a novel, and can I just say, “wow?” I cannot believe some of the things I am reading. I find myself shaking my head at this story in disbelief over and over and over again. I can’t wait to finish it! My guess is that I’ll fly through this one, so look for a review sometime in the next week or two.

What I’ve recently finished:

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal was probably one of the most anticipated releases of the Spring, I felt like I was reading about it everywhere. I just finished it this morning and I have to say, It wasn’t what I expected but it wasn’t bad! This unique novel covers a lot of ground, both wildly unfamiliar and sometimes too familiar, but I enjoyed it all the same. Look forward to my full review this week.

Internment by Samira Ahmed has been out for a while but I had yet to read it until this week. Damn. What a wonderful, depressingly realistic, beautiful statement of a piece. This book follows a “what if?” scenario in 2018 America where Muslims are brought to Internment camps like we once did with the Japanese in WWII. The parallels to our current political system were loud, bold, and unapologetic, and I appreciate this book’s existence. Would recommend.

Bodega by Su Hwang is a charming little collection of poems that I was so graciously granted a pre-release of by Milkweed Editions in exchange for an honest review. Bodega is about one girl’s experience growing up in a Korean-American family and the bodega they own in New York City. I loved the description and tangibility of this book, and I can’t wait to share my review with you all this week!

What I plan to read next:

I’m so excited about both of these!

How to Build a Heart is another wonderful ARC I received from Algonquin Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. The synopsis, following a girl without roots trying to decide who she is, sounds heartfelt and compelling. I’ve heard good things about this author, so I’m excited to find out for myself!

With the Fire on High is the highly anticipated new release from Elizabeth Acevedo, author of The Poet X, which I also read this month. I loved The Poet X, Acevedo has such a vibrant and poignant voice. If the reviews are any indication, With the Fire on High is another hit, and I have been waiting eagerly to read it too.

Look for these reviews in the next few weeks.

What are you reading this week? What are you excited about? Tell me in the comments and have a great reading week!