the wedding people

The Wedding People by Alison Espach
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

ok i was waiting for this book from the library for months, and well, it was worth wait. an truly unique direction for a wedding plot. there's a sprinkle of white lotus trio gal pal nonsense and light weaving of a loose jane eyre flair in there. i thought the ending would be predictable but happily it landed remarkably solid. RECOMMEND!

the overstory

The Overstory by Richard Powers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 round-up. i've had this on my to-read shelf for years now and avoided it because i knew it would be a bittersweet read and wanted to be in the right headspace to give it my full attention. it was still difficult to read, given the overwhelming cuts in federal funding to parks and legislation to tackle climate change. this was written in 2018 and it's hard to see that what was written remains true. trees are still sacrificed to capitalism, and now fires. it's as heartbreaking as if i read this book over 5 years ago. despite the sadness, i enjoyed how powers interweaved the characters together, and i'll forever love plant patty.

all the colors of the dark

All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"paint it for me." wow has chris whitaker done so! it took me a little bit to get into it at the get-go but once i was in i was IN. whitaker has a marvelous way of telling you something without explicitly doing so, which i find especially admirable for a serial killer thriller. he trusts his readers to put it together and not explained to. what truly hooked me was the love stories that were romantic, unrequited, and familial. i enjoyed the cadence of short chapters that pushed me to read more and more until i slowed down knowing the conclusion was nearing an end. i haven't openly sighed and awwwed reading a book in a long time. i'm often averse to "read with jenna" picks but this one was worth it.

i'm waiting for the film adaptation that won't measure up to this prose, so do yourself a favor and read this.

over the influence

Over the Influence: A Memoir by Joanna "JoJo" Levesque
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 and not rounding up b/c don't want my bias to register even more. i've been a fan of jojo for decades. i was never "a little too late" to her talent and voice. she was respite during covid hosting lunchtime IG lives, which literally brought me joy in a time of distress. I'm not surprised by what a thoughtful and unique voice she has in her writing. the memoir brings memories of mariah's memior and I can't wait to listen to the audio version of this. here is rnb queen that takes accountability for her flaws and constantly battles with loving herself. joanna, you are worthy of all the good things coming your way.

do nothing

 

Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving by Celeste Headlee
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 but no round-up. i suppose a lot of what ms. headlee wrote were habits I've already employed, but I really took away the email/text as a somewhat waste or rather suckage of time. I'm pretty much a neo-luddite so less attached to digital devices as most. i still prefer to read physical books and make ample time for social engagements in person. i could be better with calling instead of texting. I've recently started to send voice memos to convey more feelings than the written word. this is a good list and reminder for folks:

1. increase time perception
2. create your ideal schedule
3. stop comparing at a distance
4. work fewer hours
5. schedule leisure
6. schedule social time
7. work in teams
8. commit small, selfish acts
9. focus on ends, not means

funny story

Funny Story by Emily Henry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 i could have done without starfire but devoured this in less than 24 hours.

trust people's actions, not their words.
don't love anyone who isn't ready to love you back.
let go if the people who don't hold on to you.
don't wait on anyone who's in no rush to get to you.

all great tenets for friendships and romance

wandering stars

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 round-up. i enjoyed this more than orange's debut and perhaps it's the intergenerational element a la homegoing that did it for me. the victoria bear shield and opal viola bear shield stories were quite moving, as well as the trio of great-grandchildren set in the somewhat present really hammered home the cycle of addiction. it's hard enough to find identity in your youth and harder when the history of our ancestors has been erased or misrepresented throughout history. orange has a heartbreaking way of navigating these feelings and hope for resilience for the next generation.

open

Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 round-up. this has sat on my to-read shelf for years and i finally got around to it just as the french open was kicking off. i'd heard this is one of the best sports memoirs and I can see why. agassi really gets to the heart of the psyche of being a tennis player. how lonely the game can be? you are your own worst enemy not the opponent you are playing. i laughed out loud every time brad gilbert showed up. he truly is the hidden star of this book and i can see how he has driven the best out of so many player, especially the first player he coached - andre. i grew up watching agassi, sampras, chang and courier. i remembered many of the matches he talks about, and agassi's internal monologue during these matches really makes this book.

the unobserved universe

The Observable Universe: An Investigation by Heather McCalden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

a mediation on grief in an unorthodox literary sense, which makes sense since mccalden is an artist that generally identifies with photography. it's refreshing and sometimes difficult read, emotionally and structurally. irregardless, it gave me jenny odell how to do nothing vibes. the consciousness that items on the internet are ephemeral from link rot to 404 errors. mccalden has a way of encapsulating feeling in concise prose that hits upon its emotion. meticulous researched and paints a vision of la that's less glitz and more reality.

hello beautiful

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 with a round-up. modern-esque day little women with all the head-strongness of jo, artsy aspirations of amy, maternal goodness of beth, and not sure where meg ends up but it's about four tight sisters. to say i devoured it is an understatement. depthly told from three main perspectives and a later fourth, the story spans decades in the padavano sisters' lives with an undercurrent of basketball brought by love interest william walters. it gets messy, sad, and ultimately redeeming.

bonus: shout to stephen curry, klay thompson, draymond green, and gary payton II in the acknowledgments.

wellness

Wellness by Nathan Hill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 and rounding up. i really enjoyed the nix but i have to say i loved wellness more. the opening love story is a literary gem. “come with?” the narration between past and present was perfection, navigating trauma and the challenges of a long term relationship. highly recommend.

land of milk and honey

Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 i enjoyed land of milk and honey more than zhang's debut, how much of these hills is gold. perhaps it was the sci-fi futuristic take on gourmand excess. think the film the menu meets agriculture science. zhang's epicurean prose had my mouth watering from high and low dishes. note: check out the food acknowledgments at the end of the book.

talking at night

Talking at Night by Claire Daverley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 no round up only because rosie is insufferable. lots of comparisons to “normal people” though i enjoyed this more. i disliked marianne in np, but disliked rosie even more in this novel. it was an engrossing read and the characters were well-rounded. mvp goes to jen, and the “showdown” between will and simon made me think of the bar scene in the film past lives.

the vaster wilds

The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 round up. i haven’t loved lauren groff’s books since “the fates and the furies” but i still go on reading for her prose. “the vaster wilds” seems to have captured what i loved about her debut. heartbreaking intimacy, but this time in solitude amongst the wilds of nature.

flowers of the killer moon

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

i went into this to prep from the upcoming film adaptation, however i was deeply overwhelmed by this book. it was engrossing and i can’t recommend it enough. everyone should be reading this as it illuminates an largely overlooked past and genocide.

why mariah carey matters

Why Mariah Carey Matters by Andrew Chan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

for complete transparency as with my review of mariah’s memoir, i am a 🐑. additionally, i am a friend of the writer-scholar of this book, so fully acknowledge some bias, however this book undoubtedly does a great job uncovering mariah’s place in pop and r&b history. it goes well beyond the well-known hits to celebrate her talents as a songwriter, producer and vocal arranger.

the wake-up

The Wake Up: Closing the Gap Between Good Intentions and Real Change by Michelle MiJung Kim
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

i was a little skeptical when i started this and thought it would be a full on lecture about how i'm just not doing enough, but michelle does a great job providing grace and understanding that everyone's journey to unlearning is varied. i highly recommend this anyone on the never ending path to challenging social injustices personally and in public. bravo!

crying in h mart

Crying in H Mart: A Memoir by Michelle Zauner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 and rounding up (again slightly biased reader) i’ve been awaiting this memoir for some time and needless to say it doesn’t disappoint. i identified with the push and pull of a mother-daughter relationship that was anchored in food as love and unfulfilled expectations of a parent. lastly, peter is a saint. michelle really grabbed a good one.

we run the tides

We Run the Tides by Vendela Vida
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

i had a feeling this would be in my wheelhouse growing up in san francisco albeit NOT in sea cliff. vendela has captured the landscape of the foggy beaches of san francisco to a tee. something i constantly have to clarify to non-left coasters about the major difference between northern and southern california. i saw someone compare vida to ferrante, and i'd have to say vendela's depiction of teenage female friendship hits deeper for me. the characters are more engaging for my taste and the lies more tangible. again, caveat that i'm probably overrating for my affinity to my hometown as it's resonance is personally palpable.

the family upstairs

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

okay, i've been a fan of lisa jewell since ralph's party and was in a anglophile reverie in the early aughts. i have since been fortunate to live in london and now can picture vividly the places that jewell writes about. for this latest suspense turn (i still miss the early chick lit jewell novels), i have to say i enjoyed it much more than her past efforts. jewell has always had easy reading prose that i can devour in a sitting. this story unfolds with a few red herrings and tidies up to an amiable ending. recommend!