Review: Miles Morales Spiderman

Miles Morales Spiderman by Jason Reynolds

I’ve never been big into comic books or graphic novels so most of my love of Marvel comes from the MCU movies and the tv shows. This book showed up in my recommendation list around the time my kids were playing the Spider-Man video game non-stop, so I figured I could learn more about Miles Morales. (Then my husband told me there are a bunch of different MM storylines and universes…)
Anyway, I enjoyed this book, it’s a novelization, not a comic or even illustrated, which is more my thing. If you’re looking for graphic novels this isn’t it. Miles Morales was bitten by a spider, like the previous Spider-Man Peter Parker, but he doesn’t have the same catalyst to be the hero Peter did. He has two parents who are happily married and love him, he goes to a fancy private school (on a scholarship) and while he does use his Spider-Man powers, the book starts at a time when he’s been suspended from school for trying to follow his spider-sense so he’s hung up his mask and wants to quit.
His roommate/best friend Ganke is a wonderful character who provides humor and support to Miles throughout the story.
I found the book a bit slow in the middle, not unbearably so, but on the whole, a solid story. It does make me want to look into the authors other books and I’ll definitely join the kids at the Spiderverse movie coming out in December. 3.5/5 stars ⭐️

Items mentioned in this post may contain affiliate links which means if you click and make a purchase, I will receive referral compensation at no additional cost to you. And let’s be honest, I will use to buy more books.

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Review: The Hate You Give

The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas

I finished this book last night and I’m still not sure how I feel about it. I’ve read nothing but accolades for this book but I’ll be honest, I didn’t love it. I had big expectations based on all the buzz surrounding it, and it was gritty, emotional, thought-provoking, uncomfortable and uplifting. The story and the character experience is important and relevant. The main character Starr is two characters really, she’s the daughter of an ex-con, former gang member who lives in a neighborhood of gang affiliation and drug violence and she’s a smart, shy high school student in a private school far from her neighborhood where she’s one of the only black students and has to assimilate and hide her other self. As the book starts, she sees her unarmed best friend shot by a police officer at a traffic stop and the book is her POV of the weeks that follow as her family, her neighborhood, and the community react. She lives in her two worlds and tries to not fall apart from the trauma of losing her friend while she tries to find her voice to speak out against injustice and systematic racism. Starr finds her voice is the best tool she has for change. The complexities of race, poverty, community, belonging, fear, anger and growing up form the central message of this book and it’s well done. That said, I had a hard time getting through the book for other reasons. I feel like it dragged in spots and it was repetitive and the language and structure seemed like a 16-year-old writer. I think it was intentional, not bad writing, but I’ve read plenty of other YA books with teen narrative that didn’t read like 16-year-olds wrote it. 4/5 stars

Items mentioned in this post may contain affiliate links which means if you click and make a purchase, I will receive referral compensation at no additional cost to you. And let’s be honest, I will use to buy more books.

Review: WE: A Manifesto For Women Everywhere

Review: WE: A Manifesto For Women Everywhere by Gillian Anderson and Jennifer Nadel

I am not sure what I expected from this book, but it has been eye-opening and positive. I am an occasional reader, and not very fast, so it has taken a while to get through this book in a way that I feel I am absorbing and appreciating. I even found myself taking notes which I rarely do. I plan to read it though a second time now that I know what to expect and made sure I am getting the most from it.

I am at a time in my life I really needed to read/hear the ideas in this book. I am guilty of not putting myself first, not taking care of myself in my frenzy to make sure everyone else’s everything is tended to. I am a 40-something mom with two young kids, who left the workforce to stay home with them. I have second-guessed every decision I’ve made recently and I have been very down on myself as I am in this season of my life. This book really helped me to see my value and had concrete plans to help me address these concerns.

5/5 Stars

Items mentioned in this post may contain affiliate links which means if you click and make a purchase, I will receive referral compensation at no additional cost to you. And let’s be honest, I will use to buy more books.

Review: Bucky F*cking Dent

Bucky F*cking Dent by David Duchovny

I got this book because I’m a long-time David Duchovny fan from his acting work but found he’s an incredible writer as well. This is a great book, period, not just a “good book by an actor.”
The story is emotional and real, and will have you rooting for the characters. I laughed so hard at times and cried at others. This is a touching father and son tale with baseball as the thing that brings them together, but not how you think it will.
Duchovny is intelligent, articulate and a born story teller.
I can’t wait until his next book.

Items mentioned in this post may contain affiliate links which means if you click and make a purchase, I will receive referral compensation at no additional cost to you. And let’s be honest, I will use to buy more books.