Visitations by Corey Egbert
Visitations by Corey Egbert is more of a rating of 3.5 than a pure 4 as there were areas I would have liked to have seen “more” of the story (I like that we don’t have a lot of “before divorce” (just enough to let you know what has happened) but seeing more of the Visitations (what their mother calls the time Corey and his sister, Sarah, have with their father) would be interesting. Afterall, this is part of the title. And I would have […]
The Good for Nothing Puddle: Finding Hope When You're Stuck in Sadness by Jana Jackson
The Good for Nothing Puddle: Finding Hope When You’re Stuck in Sadness is actually an enjoyable story that shows depression, sadness, and grief in an unusually positive light without downplaying, ignoring or shaming it. However, the inclusion of God might turn some readers off as that part is an important part to the wrapping up of things and the message that the author wants to give. With that being said, I did enjoy the process of our main character figuring out that the puddle she […]
Two Tribes by Emily Bowen Cohen
The girl on the cover has a necklace with a Star of David and she also has one that represents her Muscogee Nation heritage. And inside the Emily Bowen Cohen graphic novel, the struggle of a young girl unfolds as she learns what it means to be a “Real Native” and a “Real Jewish” Girl. In the story Two Tribes (inspired by the life of Cohen), we follow Mia and see how her two tribes/cultures have similarities, even in their differences. This is a coming […]
Message in the Moon by Roma Downey
I started to read A Message in the Moon author introduction. However, I stopped when I saw the phrase “my daddy” and the tone was that of a young child and not an adult. Everyone has their own dynamic with their family, but that was a turn off. And there is no rule saying I had to read it (as I knew it would really color my feelings on the actual story). Therefore, I skipped ahead to Roma Downey’s story. Which also was not for […]
Autoboyography by Christina Lauren
Note: all images shamelessly stolen from the internet as I really got into the Simon & Schuster free online books this month. I was on the fence about Autoboyography by Christina Lauren (or Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings). I was not sure I was reading for another GLBTQ book so soon after the others I had read, and frankly thought the cover too cute. And when I got into the book, the “meet cute” romance tone of the story explained the cover. And yes, […]
It's a Whole Spiel: Love, Latkes, and Other Jewish Stories by Katherine Locke and Laura Silverman
What does it mean to be Jewish? I have never contemplated this question, because I am not Jewish. But I am trying to read about diverse faiths and cultural perspectives, particularly when they intersect with other identities. It’s a Whole Spiel caught my eye at my library (which is now open for limited in-person browsing, thank goodness!), and I was happy to devour it over this weekend. This anthology of short stories features all kinds of Jewish voices and perspectives, from people who are culturally […]
