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My new Anti-TBR pile
I’ve been watching a lot more Booktubers lately (YouTube folks who vlog about books they read), and one of the things they’ve been discussing is their “Anti-TBR” pile: books they NEVER plan to read. I think this is an interesting way to handle discussions of both “problematic” books and authors you simply have no interest in reading, for whatever reason, with the disclaimer upfront that these are not BAD books or authors (the discussions tend to set aside the truly problematic folks that we all know and avoid), but they are POPULAR books, leaving the door open for critique of the kinds of books that seem to have nothing but…
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REVIEW: The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan
Naomi Grant has built her life around going against the grain. After the sex-positive start-up she co-founded becomes an international sensation, she wants to extend her educational platform to live lecturing. Unfortunately, despite her long list of qualifications, higher ed won’t hire her. Ethan Cohen has recently received two honors: LA Mag nominated him as one of the city’s hottest bachelors and he became rabbi of his own synagogue. Low on both funds and congregants, the executive board of Ethan’s new shul hired him with the hopes that his nontraditional background will attract more millennials to the faith. They’ve given him three months to turn things around or else they’ll close the doors of…
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REVIEW: Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron
When it comes to bread, Reena Manji knows exactly what she’s doing. She treats her sourdough starters like (somewhat unruly) children. But when it comes to Reena’s actual family—and their constant meddling in her life—well, that recipe always ends in disaster. Now Reena’s parents have found her yet another potential Good Muslim Husband. This one has the body of Captain America, a delicious British accent, and lives right across the hall. He’s the perfect, mouthwatering temptation… and completely ruined by the unwelcome side dish of parental interference. Reena refuses to marry anyone who works for her father. She won’t be attracted to Nadim’s sweet charm or gorgeous lopsided smile. That…
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REVIEW: Kink: Stories (edited by R.O. Kwon & Garth Greenwell)
Kink is a groundbreaking anthology of literary short fiction exploring love and desire, BDSM, and interests across the sexual spectrum, edited by lauded writers R.O. Kwon and Garth Greenwell, and featuring a roster of all-star contributors including Alexander Chee, Roxane Gay, Carmen Maria Machado, and more. Kink is a dynamic anthology of literary fiction that opens an imaginative door into the world of desire. The stories within this collection portray love, desire, BDSM, and sexual kinks in all their glory with a bold new vision. The collection includes works by renowned fiction writers such as Callum Angus, Alexander Chee, Vanessa Clark, Melissa Febos, Kim Fu, Roxane Gay, Cara Hoffman, Zeyn…
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REVIEW: 365 Days by Blanka Lipińska (trans. Filip Sporczyk)
The sexy and deeply romantic internationally bestselling novel that inspired the blockbuster movie. Laura Biel and her boyfriend are on a dream vacation in beautiful Sicily. On the second day of their trip, her twenty-ninth birthday, she is kidnapped. Her kidnapper is none other than the head of a powerful Sicilian crime family, the incredibly handsome, young Don Massimo Torricelli, who is determined to possess her at all costs. Massimo has his reasons. During an earlier attempt on his life, a vision appeared before his eyes: a beautiful woman, identical to Laura. After surviving the attack, he vows that he will find the woman in his vision and make her…
