~february 2023 reading wrap-up~
hello loves!! this month i procrastinated so much on school and work, and instead i read sooo much. so here is a brief recap of what i read!
Total Books: 24 | Re-Reads: 2 | Average Rating: 4.06 ★ | Overall 2023 Reading Goal: 40/50
note: if you read further,, there will be some minor spoilers. also if you decide to pick any of them up make sure to check the trigger warnings.
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#1 - Toilet-Bound Hanako-Kun, Vol. 2 by Aidalro
Rating: 5★ | Format Read: Physical
this manga series is continuing in such a fun and interesting way. there is a development in the romance and found family,, and I LOVE the found family in this series.
#2 - Fade by Tanya Saracho
Rating: 3★ | Format Read: E-Book
this play was okay, there is some interesting commentary on the characters LatinX identities and those parts were engaging. i felt like the ending was predictable. my rating might change if i saw this staged.
#3 - Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War, Vol. 3 by Aka Akasaka
Rating: 4.5★ | Format Read: Physical
it's been sooo long since i continued this story, and i'm so glad i picked it back-up. great deepening of romance and friendships. definitely need to continue this series.
#4 - The Tradition by Jericho Brown
Rating: 5★ | Format Read: Physical
this poetry collection is absolutely beautiful. and exploration of race, love, queerness, rape, and so much more. my favorite poems were: Trojan, As a Human being, and Bullet Points
#5 - Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Rating: 4.5★ | Format Read: Physical
wonderful non-fiction discussion of indigenous wisdom and scientific information. there were a few mentions of pretty traditional roles (that she believes in for herself) that i didn't love. but overall it was beautiful written and had a lot of wisdom.
#6 - Uncomfortable Conversations With A Black Man by Emmanuel Ocho
Rating: 4.5★ | Format Read: Audio
this is a very palatable non-fiction about racism that black people face in america. for white people who haven't done any anti-racism work, i highly recommend.
#7 - The Son Of Neptune by Rick Riordan
Rating: 5★ | Format Read: Audio
i love this book, i love the new camp and this trio. hazel and frank have my whole heart.
#8 - Gruesome Playground Injuries by Rajiv Joseph
Rating: 1.5★ | Format Read: E-Book
i did not like this play at all but i had to read it for class so i finished it. it is a glamorization of abusive relationships that are built on an idealization of self-harm. the only reason it wasn't a 1-star was because there is the use of a cool narrative tool of jumping around in time through traumatic events that connect the characters. but besides that it made me physically ill because it made me so upset.
#9 - Electric Arches by Eve L. Ewing
Rating: 4★ | Format Read: Physical
this is a beautiful collection of poetry, prose, and visual art that explores black womanhood. i wish it was longer. my favorite quote was: "i wanted a map not to know where things are but to know where i am."
#10 - Tristan Strong Punches A Hole In The Sky by Kwame Mbalia
Rating: 5★ | Format Read: Audio
i have had this middle-grade on my tbr for sooo long and i kept procrastinating,, and why did i keep myself from this gem for so long?? love the characters, the world-building, and the important topics discussed.
#11 - I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown
Rating: 5★ | Format Read: Audio
amazing non-fiction that focuses on the intersectionality of black womanhood. it is wonderful to hear her experiences and she needs to write more because it is so good.
#12 - Stage Management Theory As A Guide To Practice: Cultivating a Creative Approach by Lisa Porter and Narda E. Alcorn
Rating: 3.5★ | Format Read: E-Book
i had to read this for class, but it was interesting. full of a lot of great theory about stage management/organizing people. i wish there was more pracitcal advice.
#13 - The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Rating: 4.5★ | Format Read: Audio
this book was so wonderful. it is as if the book "Nothing To See Here" had a cozy baby. and the romance?? i was crushing on the love interest sooo much.
#14 - Tristan Strong Destroys the World by Kwame Mbalia
Rating: 3.5★ | Format Read: Audio
i didn't love the addition of the new technology in this book, and all the gods are the worst in this book. the antagonist in this book was cool though and the ending was interesting. opptimistic for the last book, but this was kind of a let down compared to the last one (for me).
#15 - Wash Day Dairies by Jamila Rowser
Rating: 4★ | Format Read: E-Book
this is such a cute graphic novel about love, friendship, family, and health.
#16 - The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan
Rating: 4.5★ | Format Read: Audio
re-read for me, i love this book but it is probably my least favorite in the heroes of olympus... obviously, i love *and hate* the ending, percabeth, and the group dynamics... but they use the word "schizophrenic" to describe the gods in this novel and that feels icky.
#17 - Toilet-Bound Hanako-Kun, Vol. 3 by Aidarlo
Rating: 5★ | Format Read: Physical
and the series is still good... this volume has lots of great backstory and a good cliff-hanger.
#18- Don't Cry For Me: A Novel by Daniel Black
Rating: 5★ | Format Read: Audio
this is a retelling of a man's life through letters to his son, an exploration of black manhood, familial trauma, homophobia, and relationships. i have to re-read it physically so i can annotate it.
#19 - How The Word Is Passed by Clint Smith
Rating: 5★ | Format Read: Physical
a must-read non-fiction about different locations across the united states and their history of slavery and racial segregation and how that history is hidden and changed.
#20 - Off-Headset: Essay on Stage Management Work, Life, and Career by Christopher Sadler and Rafael Jaen
Rating: 3★ | Format Read: E-Book
another read for class, and it was okay. since it's by a bunch of different authors the quality varies and some parts are very repetitive.
#21 - Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron
Rating: 2.5★ | Format Read: Audio
when i explained this plot to my roommate she said it sounded like shrek 2 fan-ficiton... anyways, even though it was published in 2020 it felt very early 2010's with the main characters "not like other girls" energy. i liked having a sapphic character, and i wanted to love her romances but it is so much of insta-love. cool villian, but the magic system is not at all what i was expecting.
#22 - What A Match by Mimi Grace
Rating: 3★ | Format Read: E-Book
i have the biggest crushes on characters in this book. the plot is a little all over the place, but if you just want a fun romance reed i recommend it.
#23 - Consumed: The Need For Collective Change: Colonialism, Climate Change, and Consumerism by Aja Barber
Rating: 4★ | Format Read: E-Book
overall lots of wonderful information about fashion consumption, it is a little disorganized but provides good intersectional discussion. i wish it would have discussed the use of prison labor and the problems with that, but that might need to be an entirely separate book.
#24 - Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman
Rating: 3★ | Format Read: E-Book
sadly, this is my least favorite story in the osemanverse that I have read... nick and charlie felt extremely out of character, and i hate this miscommunication trope and that is what this is. i do still love the writing and the ending was cute.
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if you read this far thank you so much <3 share what you have read recently
~mo
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Theatre Review: ‘Fade’ at Unexpected Stage Company
What does assimilation into U.S. culture mean for immigrants from different Latin American countries and economic classes? The points made in “Fade” by Tanya Saracho may break no new ground but they are still compelling. The DC-area premiere at Unexpected Stage Company, directed by Dylan Arredondo, is engaging and thought-provoking. Published in 2017, “Fade” tells the […]
See original article at: https://mdtheatreguide.com/2022/11/theatre-review-fade-at-unexpected-stage-company/
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12 New Books* by Broadway Stars
12 New Books* by Broadway Stars
Broadway performers Idina Menzel, Gideon Glick, Andy Mientus, Nancy Olson, directors Jack O’Brien and Sheldon Epps are all new authors — of memoirs, novels, a cookbook, a children’s book; not all strictly speaking theater books. And then there is the posthumously published diaries of Alan Rickman. Ali Stroker, Amber Iman, Cush Jumbo and Tanya Saracho are among the theater artists with new books…
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Tanya Saracho of "Vida" is working on a new show at Starz
Tanya Saracho of “Vida” is working on a new show at Starz
It’s been nearly two years since “Vida” bowed out at Starz, and now we learn that network and series creator Tanya Saracho is joining forces on a new project. According to Deadline, Saracho is developing a half-hour drama “Lovesong,” the story of two Mexican-American friends living in London who are both drawn to the same singer-songwriter.
“A love story born of betrayal and paid for at the price…
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