September Book Review
Welcome to my September 2023 Monthly Reading Wrap-Up!
Before diving in, you might want to check out last month’s reading wrap-up here.
My reviews will have a fluid structure, reflecting my genuine thoughts and feelings about each book. Some reviews will delve deeply, teeming with opinions, while others will be more succinct. This diversity in my reviews is precisely the reason I embarked on this book review journey. I'm passionate about reading and craved a space where I could articulate my reflections without restraint.
This month, I delved into five books, presented in the sequence I read them. As is customary for me, there's a blend of fiction and nonfiction titles.
I kicked off this month by diving into a book recommended by the queen of book influencers—Reese Witherspoon. Her book club suggests one title per month, and each recommendation tends to fly off the shelves; that's the power of her endorsement. This is the second book from her club that I've read. While it might sound a bit snobbish, I often find that mass-appeal book club picks don't resonate with me. They tend to be designed to please a broad audience, which often makes them somewhat formulaic.
However, I decided to give Cassandra in Reverse by Holly Smale a chance because it seemed like a delightful departure from my usual reading choices. The intriguing premise—that Cassandra is stuck in a time loop trying to fix the third-worst day of her life—piqued my interest. I was like, time loop? THIRD worst day?? What about the first and second??? Alright, I’ll give it a go. While I typically prefer novels with a heavier, more dramatic tone, this book was witty, charming, and lighthearted. It successfully drew me out of my reading comfort zone, and I ended up enjoying it.
The protagonist, Cassie, is a quirky, hot mess, which means shes relatable, but like, in a fun, neurodivergent way. The story is primarily a romance. The time loop serves as a framework for Cassie to try to save her relationship and prevent her boyfriend from breaking up with her. While romance isn't my preferred genre, the book incorporated broader themes about self-acceptance and resisting the urge to change perceived flaws, which I enjoyed.
It was apparent to me early on that Cassie was on the autism spectrum, so I was somewhat surprised when the climax involved her coming to this realization. I was like wait girlie… you didnt know? This whole time?? However, this was a deliberate choice by the author, Holly Smale, who was diagnosed with autism in adulthood and wanted to create a character reflecting this experience. The audience is meant to catch on to Cassie's condition before she herself does.
In summary, I did find the book enjoyable. It's what I'd call an "easy read"—you can start it and just keep going. Kind of like what happens with me and ritz crackers. You can keep poppin’ those bad boys in your mouth one right after the other and before you know it you've eaten an entire sleeve. Easy.
While I did enjoy another book from Reese Witherspoon's club—Wrong Place, Wrong Time—a bit more, Cassandra in Reverse still earns a solid 4 stars from me. I'm open to exploring more of Reese's recommendations in the future.
Essay-style pseudo-memoirs just hit differently. Aisha Harris, a pop culture critic and podcast host, has earned her reputation by offering keen and thoughtful insights into the latest movies, TV shows, and cultural trends. In her collection of essays titled Wannabe: Reckonings with the Pop Culture that Shapes Me, Harris turns her analytical gaze inward, examining the pop culture phenomena that have not only shaped collective society but also her own individual identity.
What fascinates me about this hybrid genre—which I'm choosing to call "essay-style pseudo-memoirs," although I'm not sure if it's an established category—is the specific lens authors use to scrutinize their own experiences. Harris effectively links historical trends and the evolution of various tropes in movies and TV to her own life, with a particular focus on her identity as a Black woman.
In one essay, Harris provides an overview of the "Black friend" trope, seen in films ranging from Clueless to pop bands like the Spice Girls. She explores how these tropes have influenced societal perceptions and understandings, which in turn have impacted her own experiences. In another essay, she delves into how movies and shows like The Lost Daughter and Catastrophe explore the complexities of parenthood, relating these narratives to her own decision to remain childless.
Each essay feels entirely unique to Harris, giving readers a solid understanding of her as a person. Simultaneously, she addresses themes that are universally relevant and relatable. I particularly appreciated her approach of using pop culture as a mirror to reflect real-life experiences and issues. As an avid media consumer myself—I've watched over 100 movies in the first 10 months of 2023 alone—I value not just the passive entertainment offered by media but also its role as a tool for actively dissecting cultural trends across history.
This book was a delightful addition to my reading list and contributes significantly to the genre. Harris comes across as genuinely well-informed and educated, and I felt like I was gaining valuable insights from someone with a deep reservoir of knowledge. I give it 4 stars.
Five months ago, I sang the praises of Jade City, the inaugural book in this captivating trilogy. As I had anticipated, the second installment, Jade War, is equally phenomenal. This fantasy series offers a novel twist on the classic themes of mafia/mob boss crime dramas, enriching them with a magical element. The narrative skillfully combines high-stakes drama and ruthless action with nuanced character development and lush, vivid imagery.
Spanning several years and multiple perspectives, the story allows readers to follow characters from rival clans vying for power. These "Green Bones" possess the ability to harness the power of Jade, granting them unique magical skills such as Strength, Lightness, and Perception. However, these novels are far from mere tales of power and ambition. They intricately weave politics, scheming, and revenge with themes of honor and deep familial bonds.
Every facet of these books is impeccably crafted. From the complex plot and well-paced narrative to the vividly realized characters, Fonda Lee hits every mark—and then some. My positive reviews often end up being more succinct simply because there's little more to add. There are only so many ways to say that something is stellar. Jade War is fabulous. No notes. No further comments are necessary.
Last month, I praised Brumberg's book Fasting Girls, hailing it as one of my top nonfiction reads of all time. So, it's safe to say that I had high expectations for her next work. While still deserving of a high 4.5-star rating, The Body Project didn't quite meet the high bar set by its predecessor. My main complaint is that I simply wanted more depth and breadth from the book.
Brumberg delves into why girls are so preoccupied with their bodies and self-image, even when they don't suffer from eating disorders. She argues that over the past 200 years, the shift from Victorian-era societal control over women's bodies to our current era of sexual and societal liberation has been a double-edged sword. While this shift has undeniably granted women more legal freedoms, it has also replaced external constraints with a model of internal control. Girls and adolescents are now socialized from birth through various channels—media, advertisements, television—to internalize a set of standards that scrutinize, police, and ultimately limit their own bodies and behaviors.
We no longer need corsets or head-to-toe garments to bind and constrain ourselves. Nor do we need laws and societal norms that promote demure purity while stifling personal expression. Instead, we impose these limitations on ourselves through internalized beliefs that every aspect of our physical appearance should be under our control for the purpose of appearing attractive. Brumberg refers to these self-imposed standards as "body projects."
In 1823, if a woman wanted to "improve herself," she would focus on refining her character—becoming more generous, less judgmental, and so on. Fast forward to 2023, and self-improvement for women is almost exclusively physical: lose weight, get a tan, try a new hairstyle. Your great-great-grandmother would be utterly perplexed by today's obsession with "glowing up." In her time, the body was not an object of identity to be manipulated for self-expression.
Brumberg explores the deep cultural history of various aspects of girlhood, such as menstruation, hair, clothing, and cosmetics, to illustrate how societal attitudes have evolved. She exposes the shift from the Victorian focus on inner character to our modern obsession with outward appearance. The book examines what girls have gained and lost in this transition and how newfound freedoms in a consumerist society have made the body their primary project.
The book is both fascinating and riveting. As I mentioned earlier, my only gripe is that I wanted more—I yearned for a deeper, broader exploration of this incredibly interesting subject. If you haven't already embraced nonfiction as a genre, I urge you to do so, and The Body Project should be at the top of your reading list.
The issue here is clearly a case of "it's not you, it's me." I fully admit that the fault lies with me. This book was the literary equivalent of a pumpkin spice latte, and I happen to dislike pumpkin spice lattes (mainly because I hate cinnamon). Meanwhile, everyone else seems to be enamored with both the seasonal drink and this book. I had high hopes for One for My Enemy, especially after hearing numerous people rave about how it's one of their favorite reads of the year. Unfortunately, I found myself merely waiting for the book to end, which is never a good sign.
Let's start with the primary reason I didn't enjoy it: this book is a Romance with a capital 'R.' It offers a modern-day, Romeo and Juliet-inspired tale featuring two rival witch families in New York vying for power. The story includes not just one, but two(!) star-crossed, forbidden-romance storylines. I felt as though I was wading through a quagmire of romance just to catch a glimpse of the drama and, you know, the actual plot that was sporadically interspersed throughout the book. And even that plot felt feeble at best. It seemed as though the book was attempting to cosplay a twisty, dramatic, exciting plot rather than actually delivering one.
The magic and world-building elements were loosely defined and largely unexplained, making the characters' motivations confusing and unclear. At times, I genuinely couldn't follow the storyline or understand why certain actions "made sense" within the context of the characters' goals. There were multiple "reveals" that seemed to come out of nowhere, lacking the impact and tension required to make the story exciting.
The author was certainly making an effort, and she has clearly succeeded in captivating other readers. However, that's part of the problem for me: I could sense the effort, and it felt forced and unnatural. For instance, every other sentence included the characters full name in order to… add to the sense of atmosphere??? IDK??
“Is it too late to love you, Lev Federov?”
“Does that anger you, Solnyshko?”
“That is simply what life is, Sashenka.”
“Then Dimitri Dedorov looked down at Marya Antonova, watching her eyes flutter shut.”
And yes, they're those types of names.
I have to give props where props are due—this book is a masterclass on marketing and rebranding. Originally published in 2019, it was just recently re-released and got a brand-new cover and everything. The previous cover was so hideous and the opposite of eye-catching that I’m not even going to show it to you. This one, however, is gorgeous and TBH was the only reason I picked it up. So, good job there. Ya got me.
In conclusion, the book felt like a parody of a dramatic fantasy novel. I'm giving it a low 3 stars. Will I ever learn my lesson about taking internet recommendations? When will I admit defeat and quit subjecting myself to the torture of romance novels, in the deluded hope that this will finally be the one I like? Only time will tell. Here's hoping next month's books will be more to my taste.
Check out the breakdown of my rating criteria.
And my top nonfiction recommendations.
Come across any must-read books lately? Let me know in the comments below. I’ll be back soon with more reviews and recommendations. Bye for now :)
